THE  ROMANOFFvS 

i5>^  z'Zffc'  Author  of 
'RUSSIAN  COURT  MEMOil<S 


1^    . 


THE  FALL  OF  THE   ROMANOFFS 


BY  THE  SAME  AUTHOR 


RUSSIAN   COURT  MEMOIRS 

FOURTH   THOUSAND 


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THE    EX-EMPRESS    ALEXANDRA 


THE    FALL    OF 
THE  ROMANOFFS 

HOW  THE  EX-EMPRESS  £ff  RASPUTINE 
CAUSED   THE   RUSSIAN    REVOLUTION 


BY  THE  AUTHOR  OF 

"RUSSIAN    COURT   MEMOIRS" 


NEW  YORK  :  E.  P.  DUTTON  AND  COMPANY 
LONDON:    HERBERT    JENKINS    LIMITED 

1917 


SECOND    EDITION 


nUMTED  BY  BUU.BIGH  LTD.,  AT  THE  BUKLBIGB  PKES3,  BRISTOL,  BNGLANT) 


r-?/7 

CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAOK 

I      THE   empress's   FOLLY    ..     -  -  -         7 

II      THE  CLOUDS   GATHER            -  -  - .    ^5 

III  THE   COMING  OF  RASPUTINE  -  -      43 

IV  THE    GREAT    BETRAYAL         -  -  -63 
V      THE  END  OF  A  TRAITOR        -  -  ~      81 

VI      THE   UPHEAVAL             -          -  -  -   1 01 

VII      THE  TZAR  ABDICATES            -,  _  _   123 

VIII      RUSSIA'S  EVIL  GENIUS          _  _  _   146 

IX      THE  BLOOD  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS  -  I73 

X      THE   BLACK  CABINET             -  -  -   I96 

XI      THE  AFTERMATH           -           -  -  -  2I7 

XII      THE   RULE  OF  DEMOCRACY  -  -  238 

XIII  THE  TZAR'S   TROUBLES          _  -  -  ;j6i 

XIV  THE   TRAIL  OF   REVOLUTION  -  -    282 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Thb  ex-Empress  Alexandra 

The  Emperor  Nicholas  II  in  His  Campaign  Uniform 

Madame  Vyrouboff,  the  ex-Empress's  great  friend 

The    Principal    Entrance    to    the    Alexander    Palace    in 

TZARSKOE    SeLO  .... 

Gregory  Rasputine         .... 

A  Group  taken  in  Rasputine's  Flat  after  Tea 

The  Doorway  of  the  Alexander  Palace  in  Tzarskob  Selo, 

THE  Private  Residence  of  the  Tzar 
General  Soukomlinoff,  ex-Minister  of  War 
M.  Protopopoff 
Prince  Felix  Youssoupoff 
m.  purishkevitch, 
Princess  Wassiltchikoff,  who  was  sent  to  her  Country  Seat 

FOR  WARNING  THB  BX-EmPR£SS  AGAINST  THE  COURSE  ^B  WAS 

pursuing         .  .  .  ... 

The  Grand  Duke  Dmitry  Pavlovitch,  who  was  sent  to  the 

Persian   Front  by  the    ex-Tzar  for    being  mixed  up  in 

Rasputine's  Murder  ..... 

The  ex-Emperor,  the  ex -Empress  and  their  Family 
Count  Fredericks,  Minister  of  the  Imperial  Court 
General  Woyeikoff        ...... 

M.  Gutchkoff,  who  was  sent  by  thb  Duma  to  demand   the 

Emperor's  Abdication  .  .  .  .  . 

m.   schulguine,   who  accompanied   m.   gutchkoff  to   pskov 

TO   DEMAND   THE  ABDICATION  OF  THE  EmPEROR 

Prince  Lwoff,  first  Prime  Minister  of  the  New  Cabinet 
M.  Terestchenko  ...... 

The  bx-Empress  Alexandra  in  the  Uniform  of  the  Empress 

Alexandra  Feodorovna's  Regiment  of  Lancers  . 
Thb  Grand  Duke  Nicholas  Nicolaievitch 

5 


Frrmti$pUc« 

Faeing  p»ge 

14 


22 
30 

44 

52 

58 
72 
88 
90 
92 

96 


102 
108 
118 
122 

126 

130 
136 
144 

152 
»58 


LIST    OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 

Fating  paie 

Madame  Soukomlinoff,  the  Wife  of  the  ex-Minister  of  War  162 

M.  Sturmer           ......  190 

M.  Kerensky       .......  210 

The  Tzessarvevitch  Alexis  Nicolaievitch        .  .  .212 

M.  V.  Rodzianko,  President  of  the  Imperial  Duma  under  the 

OLD   AND   NEW   GOVERNMENTS                    ....  222 

P.  N.  MiLiuKOFF,  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs  in  the  Repub- 
lican Ministry          ......  240 

The  ex-Emperor  and  three  of  His  Daughters  at  Tzarskoe- 

Selo  under  guard  after  the  Revolution             ,             .  26* 

Grand  Duchess  Olga  Alexandrovna,  Sister  of  the  Tzar      .  272 


THE   FALL    OF    THE    ROMANOFFS 


CHAPTER  r 

THE  empress's  FOLLY 

THE  events  of  the  first  days  of  March,  1917, 
o/s,  which  brought  about  the  fall  of  the 
Romanoff  Dynasty,  were  welcomed  by  the 
majority  of  my  countrymen,  not  because  of  their 
revolutionary  tendencies,  but  merely  that  they  saw 
in  the  new  order  of  things  the  final  extinction 
of  German  influence  in  Russia. 

The  responsibility  for  the  wreck  of  the  Russian 
monarchy  lies  entirely  with  the  Empress  Alexandra 
Feodorovna,  the  most  fatal  of  all  the  consorts  of 
Russian  sovereigns. 

At  the  time  of  the  death  of  Alexander  III,  the 
feeling  of  the  nation  towards  the  Imperial  family  was 
one  of  deep  and  sincere  loyalty.  The  last  days  of 
Alexander  III  seemed  firmly  to  have  attached  to 
the  dying  monarch  and  the  members  of  his  family 
the  afiections  of  the  nation.  A  wave  of  patriotism 
enveloped  the  whole  country,  and  the  last  sad  journey 
of  the  remains  of  the  deceased  sovereign  from  the 
shores  of  the  Crimea  to  Petrograd  was  one  long 
triumphal  procession.  The  Imperial  obsequies  in 
the  capital  gave  rise  to  endless  loyal  manifestations 


8  THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

to  the  memory  of  the  deceased  Tzar  and  to  his 
successor. 

During  the  anxious  days  when  the  life  of  the  once 
powerful  monarch  was  slowly  ebbing  away  in 
Livadia  (the  Imperial  residence  in  the  Crimea),  a 
great  despondency  fell  upon  the  majority  of  his 
loyal  subjects.  They  looked  with  misgiving  to- 
wards the  future,  when  the  reins  of  power  would 
be  held  by  the  weak  hands  of  the  inexperienced 
Emperor,  Nicholas  IL 

With  all  his  wisdom,  Alexander  III  had  not 
possessed  the  knowledge  of  how  to  bring  up  his  son  to 
be  worthy  of  the  mighty  Empire  for  which  he  was 
ordained  by  fate.  The  Empress  Marie  has  often 
been  reproached  with  having  spoiled  the  race  of  the 
Romanoffs,  who  up  to  then  had  been  renowned  for 
their  magni^cent  physique.  The  new  Tzar  had  not 
inherited  his  father's  imposing  deportment ;  he  was 
small  and  slight,  with  his  mother's  features  and  her 
glorious  eyes,  like  those  of  an  antelope.  Unaware 
that  his  days  were  numbered,  Alexander  III  had 
always  put  off  initiating  his  Heir  into  affairs  of  State. 
He  considered  him  too  young  to  be  burdened  with 
such  cares,  and  wished  him  to  enjoy  his  youth  a 
little  longer. 

The  childhood  of  Nicholas  II  was  mostly  spent  in 
Gatchino,  in  the  restricted  circle  of  courtiers,  with 
hardly  an}?^  friends  of  his  own  age.  The  Empress 
Marie'  was  a  devoted  mother,  but  she  was  strict, 
especially  during  the  years  of  his  adolescence.  The 
repression  lasted  until  the  lad  fell  ill  and  the  doctor 
held  a  private  conversation  with  the  Tzar,  after 
which  the  reins  were  slackened.     His  English  tutor, 


THE  EMPRESS'S  FOLLY  9 

Mr.  Heath,  was  replaced  by  General  Danilovitch, 
whose  mission  it  was  to  form  the  mind  of  the  future 
sovereign,  but  the  worthy  General  was  a  man  of 
limited  abilities,  totally  unfit  to  be  the  mentor  of  a 
future  emperor.  He  had  been  chosen  for  this 
onerous  task  because  of  his  honesty,  loyalty  and 
morality — qualities  that  both  the  Emperor  and 
Empress  prized  above  everything  else. 

The  education  the  Tzessarevitch  received  was 
that  of  an  average  officer  of  the  Guards.  His  mind 
was  not  sufficiently  cultivated,  and  nothing  had  been 
done  to  strengthen  his  will-power.  He  had  no  taste 
for  reading,  but  he  liked  music  and  possessed  a  good 
tenor  voice,  which,  however,  has  never  been  trained. 
He  likes  all  kinds  of  outdoor  games  and  is  an 
indefatigable  walker. 

At  the  age  of  eighteen  Nicholas  entered  successively 
the  Preobrajensky  regiment,  and  that  of  the  Imperial 
Hussars  in  Tzarskoe  Selo.  Coming  into  closer 
contact  with  officers  of  his  age,  he  became  intimate 
with  some  of  them,  but  shy  and  reserved  by  nature  and 
accustomed  to  repress  his  feelings,  he  never  possessed 
the  gift  of  making  friends.  They  were  his  com- 
panions with  whom  he  laughed  and  was  merry,  but 
no  real  trusted  friendship  united  him  to  any  of  them. 
His  only  real  friend  was  his  younger  brother  George, 
who  shared  his  studies.  For  many  years,  however, 
the  Grand  Duke  George  was  obliged  to  live  in  the 
south  of  Russia,  and  he  died  of  consumption  about 
four  years  after  his  brother  ascended  the  Throne. 
That  is  one  of  the  reasons  of  the  Tzar's  subsequent 
isolation  ;  he  was  surrounded  by  courtiers,  more  or 
leSS  devoted  to  him,  but  he  has  not  one  single  friend. 


10        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

Feeling  his  end  approaching,  Alexander  HI  wished 
before  his  death  to  witness  the  betrothal  of  his  heir. 
The  question  of  tne  Tzessarevitch's  marriage  had 
often  been  mooted,  though  nothing  was  decided. 
The  Princess  Alix  of  Hesse  had  frequently  visited  her 
sister,  the  Grand  Duchess  Elisabeth  Feodorovna. 
Both  the  Grand  Duchess  and  her  husband,  the  late 
Grand  Duke  Serge  Alexandrovitch,  were  eager  to 
bring  about  a  matrimonial  alliance  between  the 
Princess  and  the  Emperor's  eldest  son,  but  the 
.Empress  Marie  was  opposed  to  this  plan.  Was  it 
premonition,  motherly  instinct  or  personal  dislike  ? 
The  fact  remains  that  Her  Majesty  was  always 
against  the  marriage.  Kaiser  Wilhelm  had  wished 
his  youngest  sister,  Margaret,  to  become  the  future 
Empress  of  Russia,  but  the  Empress  Marie  detested 
the  HohenzoUerns,  and  tlie  Tzar  was  likewise  not 
prepossessed  in  favour  of  so  close  an  alliance  with 
the  Court  of  Berlin. 

It  was  rumoured  that  the  handsome  Princess 
Helen  of  Orleans  had  struck  the  fancy  of  the 
Tzessarevitch.  This  alliance  would  have  been  a  very 
popular  one  in  Russia,  and  would  have  delighted  the 
Tzar  and  his  Consort,  but  the  Princess,  belonging  to 
the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  could  not  change  her 
creed,  and  that  would  have  been  a  serious  impedi- 
ment. 

\Vlien  the  dying  Tzar  wished  to  see  Iiis  son 
affianced,  matters  were  hurried,  and  the  choice  fell 
upon  Princess  Alix  of  Hesse.  The  Princess,  who 
since  her  first  visits  to  this  country  had  attained 
maturity,  felt  some  misgivings  as  to  her  suitability 
for  the  part  allotted  to  her.     Unfortunately  she  did 


THE  EMPRESS'S   FOLLY  ii 

not  listen  to  the  inner  voice  that  whispered  that  she 
was  unfit  to  be  the  Empress  of  Russia.  Her  grand- 
mother, Queen  Victoria,  strongly  advised  her  to 
accept  such  a  brilliant  offer,  and,  as,  since  her  father's 
death,  the  Princess  Alix  was  dissatisfied  with  her 
position  at  the  Court  of  Darmstadt,  she  finally 
decided  to  acquiesce. 

In  Russia  it  was  known  that  the  future  Tzessarevna 
had  been  brought  up  in  England  under  the  care  of  her 
Royal  Grandmother,  and  people  fondly  hoped  that 
she  loved  England  and  was  more  English  than 
German.  A  few  days  before  the  Tzar  drew  his  last 
breath,  Princess  Alix  was  hastily  summoned  to 
receive  the  blessing  of  her  future  husband's  father. 
She  travelled  to  the  Crimea  with  her  eldest  sister. 
Princess  Victoria  of  Battenberg.  Kaiser  Wilhelm, 
with  his  usual  somewhat  obtrusive  gallantry, 
hastened  to  greet  his  cousin  at  some  German  town, 
and  gave  her  his  escort  for  an  hour  or  two.  People 
have  now  remembered  this  against  the  dethroned 
Empress  Alexandra,  and  say  that  during  these 
hours  a  plan  of  conduct  was  sketched  out  for  her  by 
her  cousin  William,  which  she  has  faithfully  en- 
deavoured to  carry  out  during  the  twenty-two  years 
of  her  husband's  reign. 

By  the  advice  of  the  Prince  of  Wales  (afterwards 
King  Edward  VII),  who  was  in  Livadia  at  the  time 
of  his  brother-in-law's  death,  the  wedding  was 
hurried  on  and,  three  weeks  after  the  funeral  of 
Alexander  III,  the  new  Tzar  was  quietly  married  to 
Princess  AUx  of  Hesse  in  the  Private  Chapel  of  the 
Winter  Palace.  The  bridal  pair  received  an  en- 
thusiastic   welcome    from    the    crowds    of    people 


12        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

assembled  in  the  streets.  When  they  aUghted  at  the 
Kazan  Cathedral  to  worship  at  the  shrine  of  the 
Holy  Virgin  and,  Russian  fashion,  bowed  low  to  the 
people,  inclining  themselves  three  times,  they  were 
greeted  with  tremendous  bursts  of  cheering.  Every- 
thing seemed  promising. 

The  first  discordant  note  was  struck  when  the 
young  Tzar  received  the  deputations  of  the  Zemstvo* 
in  the  ancestral  halls  of  the  Winter  Palace.  The 
address  of  the  Zemstvo  from  Twer  contained  some 
allusion  to  the  hopes  of  liberal  reforms  being  granted. 
In  his  speech  to  the  assembled  deputations,  the 
young  Emperor  expressed  his  firm  resolve  to  follow 
in  the  footsteps  of  his  beloved  parent,  and  nipped  all 
liberal  hopes  in  the  bud  by  calling  them  "  senseless 
dreams."  These  two  unlucky  words  gave  rise  to  no 
end  of  discussion,  and  laid  the  foundation  stone  to 
the  Tzar's  unpopularity  in  liberal  circles. 

The  Tzar  Nicholas  II  is  one  of  the  most  unlucky 
of  men  and  ill-fated  of  monarchs.  Fortune  frowned 
upon  him  from  the  first  day  of  his  ascending  the 
Throne  of  his  forefathers.  Everything  seems  to 
combine  against  him,  every  event  seemed  to  bring 
misfortune,  and  every  blessing  turned  into  a  curse  ; 
but  the  most  calamitous  day  of  his  existence  was 
his  marriage  day.  The  Empress  Alexandra  brought 
only  trouble  and  dissension  into  his  life,  and  has 
been  the  evil  spirit  who  has  led  the  unfortunatfe 
Tzar  to  his  doom. 

The  first  year  of  his  reign  passed  quietly  enough, 
the  Court  was"  still  in  niourning.  The  young 
sovereigns  led  a  retired  life  and  the  general  public 

•  The  representatives  of  Country_Courts. 


THE  EMPRESS'S  FOLLY  13 

saw  but  little  of  them.  The  rumour  began  to  spread, 
however,  that  the  young  Empress  repelled  everyone 
by  the  stony  haughtiness  of  her  bearing  during  the 
receptions  she  was  bound  to  attend.  Deputations 
from  all  parts  of  Russia  flocked  to  Petrograd  to  greet 
the  young  sovereigns  on  the  occasion  of  their 
ascending  the  Throne,  as  well  as  on  their  nuptials. 
Costly  gifts  were  proffered,  but  neither  gifts  nor 
devotion  moved  the  Empress  out  of  her  chilling 
impassivity.  Nothing  seemed  to  touch  her  or  elicit 
a  smile  of  gratification.  Her  Majesty  entered  the 
room,  where  the  people  stood  assembled,  bowing 
stiffly  and  looking  rigid  and  stem.  Without  casting 
a  glance  at  the  exhibited  presents,  selected  with  such 
care  and  devotion,  she  muttered  a  few  monosyllables 
of  thanks  and  retired  without  entering  into  conver- 
sation with  anyone. 

The  Tzar,  on  the  contrary,  was  charming  and 
endeavoured  bj^  the  suavity  of  his  manner  to  atone 
for  his  Consort's  ungraciousness.  Numbers  of 
people,  offended  by  their  reception,  returned  to  the 
provinces  spreading  the  most  appalling  tales  of  the 
Empress  Alexandra's  supercilious  haughtiness,  of  the 
disdain  she  openly  showed  for  her  husband's  most 
loyal  subjects.  Her  friends  put  forth  her  extreme 
shyness  as  an  extenuating  circumstance,  but  a  quite 
different  construction  was  put  on  Her  Majesty's 
distant  manner  by  the  nation.  It  was  attributed  to 
the  arrogancy  of  the  German  Princess,  who  looked 
down  upon  Russia  and  scorned  its  people. 

It  soon  became  noised  abroad  that  the  relations 
between  the  two  Russian  Empresses  had  become 
strained.    The   Empress   Alexandra   had   not   the 


14        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

gift  of  ingratiating  herself,  or  even  of  inspiring 
sympath}^  She  never  tried  to  conciliate  those  who 
could  have  been  her  true  friends  and  advisers  ; 
nor  did  she  attempt  to  disguise  the  fact  that  there 
were  in  Russia  many  things  of  which -she  did  not 
approve,  and  which  she  intended  to  reform.  With 
the  members  of  the  Imperial  Family  she  *was  strictly 
polite  without  admitting  any  intimacy  likely  to 
lead  to.frendship.  It  soon  became  common  know- 
ledge that  the  young  Empress  was  very  difficult  to 
get  on  with  ;  her  temper  was  harsh  and  violent,  and 
she  treated  her  immediate  entourage  with  such  disdain 
that  it  became  difficult  to  get  any  young  lady  to 
accept  the  hitherto  coveted  position  of  lady-in-waiting. 

One  of  the  maids-of-honour  attached  to  the  young 
Empress  soon  after  her  marriage  received  a  very 
severe  rebuke.  Perceiving  the  handsome  gifts  that 
some  deputation  had  just  presented  to  the  Sovereign, 
the  maid-of-honour  delightedly  expressed  her 
admiration  of  them,  adding  ingenuously :  "I  hope 
they  saw  how  pleased  Your  Majesty  was  I  "  The 
Empress  measured  the  unfortunate  girl  with  a 
withering  glance,  remarking  :  "I  believe  you  wish  to 
teach  me  a  lesson." 

On  another  occasion  a  private  concert  was  held 
in  the  Palace.  The  Marshal  of  the  Imperial  Court 
approached  Her  Majesty  with  the  words  : 

"  It  has  always  been  the  custom  on  such  festive 
evenings  to  invite  the  ladies-in-waiting  to  be 
present." 

"  Quite  unnecessary,"  was  the  ungracious  answer, 
"they  can  open  their  doors  and  listen  to  the  music 
from  their  rooms," 


THB   EMPEROR    NICHOLAS    II    IN    HIS   CAMPAIGN    UNIFORM 


THE   EMPRESS'S  FOLLY  15 

Being  a  greater  stickler  for  etiquette,  the  Empress 
insisted  on  the  old-fashioned  rigid  customs  of  the 
German  Courts  being  adapted  to  the  Imperial 
Household.  These  innovations  caused  much  dis- 
pleasure, and  during  the  first  years  the  ladies-in- 
waiting  were  continually  leaving.  The  only  maid- 
of-honour  who  found  favour  in-  the  Empress 
Alexandra's  eyes  was  Mile.  Anna  Taneief,  better 
known  by  her  married  name  of  Madame  Vyrouboff. 
She  became  the  evil  genius  of  Her  Majesty. 

Faithfulness  is  one  of  the  chief  characteristics 
of  the  ex-Emperor  Nicholas  II.  He  does  not  share 
the  predilection  of  most  of  the  male  members  of  the 
Imperial  Family  for  gallant  adventures.  As  a 
young  man  he  only  had  one  liaison  with  a  cele- 
brated ballet-dancer,  a  liaison,  which  was  broken  off 
at  the  time  of  his  betrothal.  When  he  married  his 
heart  belonged  entirely  to  his  wife.  The  ex-Tzar 
is  an  ideal  family  man,  and  his  devotion  to  his  wife 
and  children  is  exemplary.  Loving  his  Empress 
as  he  did,  trusting  her  blindly  and  having  a  high 
opinion  of  her  superior  judgment,  he  gradually 
became  entirely  subj ect  to  her  influence.  If  anything 
he  was  rather  in  awe,  not  so  much  of  her,  as  of  the 
hysterical  fits  she  developed.  These  attacks  were 
formidable  weapons  in  Her  Majesty's  hands,  and 
she  used  them  unscrupulously  to  enforce  her  will. 

The  general  opinion  in  western  countries  that 
Nicholas  II  is  not  a  clever  man  is  a  mistaken  one. 
His  greatest  defect  is  a  want  of  will-power  and  self- 
reliance,  which  renders  him  vacillating  and  has 
prevented  him  from  enforcing  his  own  wishes.  His 
first  opinion  is  always  correct  and  his  first  decision 


i6        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

right.  If  he  had, acted  independently,  and  had  been 
more  spontaneous  in  his  resolves,  all  would  have  been 
well,  but  the  Empress  interfered  in  everything. 
Her  opinion  rarely  coincided  with  the  Emperor's 
decisions,  and  his  weak  will  could  not  withstand  his 
consort's  strong  personality.  He  listened  to  her, 
began  to  waver,  doubted  his  own  judgment  and 
finally  let  himself  be  overruled  by  her  wishes.  •  He 
committed  the  fatal  mistake  of  allowing  his  wife  to 
interfere  in  State  affairs.  Her  influence  continued 
to  increase  until  it  became  unlimited.  During 
recent  years  the  Empress  has  been  the  all-powerful 
ruler  of  Russia's  destinies.  Believing  as  he  did  in 
her  superior  wisdom  and  in  her  integrity,  it  never 
struck  Nicholas  II  that  the  country  he  was  ordained 
by  fate  to  govern  did  not  trust  her,  and  strongly 
objected  to  her  rule. 

Alexander  III  had  been  a  wiser  man  in  this  respect, 
for  although  he  a(Jbred  his  wife  and  was  a  model 
husband,  he  never  admitted  the  Empress  Marie's 
interference  in  questions  of  government.  She  was 
at  the  head  of  all  the  educational  and  charitable 
institutions,  she  directed  her  children's  education 
and  took  the  lead  at  the  Court.  That  was  her 
proper  sphere,  but  she  had  no  control  over  State 
affairs,  and  she  was  too  womanly  and  right-minded 
ever  to  attempt  such  an  intrusion. 

The  first  bitter  disappointment  of  the  young 
Empress  occurred  a  year  after  her  marriage.  Instead 
of  the  ardently  expected  son  and  heir,  she  gave  birth 
to  a  daughter.  Six  months  later  the  Coronation 
took  place  in  Moscow.  The  young  Empress,  whose 
unpopularity  was  already  an  acknowledged  fact, 


THE   EMPRESS'S  FOLLY  17 

received  a  cool  welcome  fron;i  the  population,  whereas 
the  Dowager  Empress  was  greeted  with  acclamation. 
The  difference  between  these  two  receptions  natur- 
ally produced  an  unfavourable  impression  on  the 
Empress  Alexandra,  increasing  the  harshness  of  her 
demeanour. 

One  of  the  first  mistakes  of  the  young  Tzar  was  the 
nomination  of  his  uncle  and  brother-in-law,  the 
Grand  Duke  Serge  Alexandrovitch,  to  the  post  of 
Governor-General  in  Moscow.  For  many  years  old 
Prince  Dolgorouky  had  filled  that  post,  and  it  would 
be  difficult  to  find  a  more  popular  governor-general. 
Moscow  loved  and  honoured  him,  and  his  sudden 
removal  to  make  way  for  the  Emperor's  uncle 
broke  the  old  man's  heart,  and  was  deeply  resented 
by  the  people.  'On  the  other  hand,  the  Grand  Duke 
Serge  was  not  the  right  man  in  the  right  place.  He 
was  harsh,  tactless,  arrogant,  treated  the  people 
haughtily,  and  managed  to  offend  those  it  would 
have  been  wiser  to  conciliate.  His  wife  on  the 
contrary,  the  Grand  Duchess  Elisabeth,  charmed 
the  Muscovites  and  gained  their  affections.  She  was 
called  the  Queen  of  Moscow,  and  her  popularity 
lasted  untU  the  present  war,  when  '  the  former 
devotion  changed  suddenly  to  detestation.  Her 
German  origin  was  remembered  against  her,  and 
sundry  stories  were  spread  regarding  her  pre- 
dilection for  German  prisoners,  and  the  preference 
she  showed  them  in  comparison  to  the  wounded 
Russian  soldiers. 

A  grudge  had  been  nursed  for  some  time  against 
the  Grand  Duchess  for  becoming  a  deaconess.  In 
Russia  there  are  nuns,  who  live  in  convents,  but  up 


i8        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

to  this  there  had  been  no  deaconesses.  Several 
members  of  the  Holy  Synod  protested  against  the 
innovation  from  Germany,  where  there  are  no  nuns, 
but  where  "  diaconessen  "  and  "  diaconessen-Stifte  " 
(homes  for  deaconesses)  exist.  At  the  present 
moment  the  Grand  Duchess  EUsabeth  is  one  of  the 
most  unpopular  members  of  the  Imperial  Family. 

But  to  return  to  the  first  period  of  the  reign  of 
Nicholas  IL.  Time  passed,  and  each  j^ear  brought 
fresh  hopes  to  the  Empress  of  giving  an  Heir  to  the 
Throne  of  Russia  ;  but  these  hopes  were  dashed  to 
the  ground.  Four  daughters  were  successively  born 
to  the  Imperial  couple.  The  Empress  was  desperate, 
and  her  excitement  on  each  occasion  was  such  as  to 
cause  serious  anxiety,  and  those  about  her  feared  to 
let  her  know  the  disappointing  sex  of  the  new-born 
infant.  This  intense  desire  to  give  birth  to  a  son 
became  the  sovereign's  fixed  idea,  and  she  had 
recourse  to  all  kinds  of  expedients  to  enable  her  to 
give  an  Heir  to  Russia.  Prayers,  vows,  pilgrimages, 
sortileg3%  hypnotism,  etc.,  everything  was  tried. 

Occult  science  had  alwaj^s  attracted  the  Tzar  and 
his  Consort,  and  spiritualistic  sittings  were  con- 
tinually arranged  either  in  Tzarskoe  Selo,  or  in  the 
old  Palace  of  the  Grand  Duke  Nicholas  on  the 
Italian  Street,  which  has  since  been  sold.  The  best 
mediums  were  commanded,  and  although  these 
sittings  were  kept  a  profound  secret,  still  everyone 
knew  of  them,  and  the  most  amazing  tales  were 
spread.  The  spirit  of  Alexander  III  was  invoked, 
and  his  son  found  great  satisfaction  in  consulting 
him  on  State  matters.  Every  impending  reform  was 
submitted  for  approval  to  the  spirit  of  the  depart v'd 


THE  EMPRESS'S  FOLLY  19 

monarch.  The  burning  question  of  the  next  Heir 
to  the  Throne  was  naturally  also  a  topic  on  which 
the  spiritual  oracle  was  consulted. 

Hypnotism  played  a  prominent  part  in  the  life 
of  the  Empress  Alexandra.  A  renowned  French 
hypnotist  was  sent  for,  and  during  a  stance,  whilst 
the  Empress  was  under  his  hypnotic  influence,  he 
insinuated  to  her  to  conceive  an  infant  of  the . 
male  sex.  After  a  very  short  time  the  Empress 
felt  herself  to  be  enceinte, — an  announcement 
that  caused  jubilation  to  reign  at  Court.  The  usual 
proceeding  of  consulting  a  specialist  was  this  time 
omitted  by  the  advice  of  the  hypnotist,  who  in- 
sisted that,  as  the  child  was  conceived  under  hyp- 
notical influence,  the  intervention  of  a  medical 
man  could  only  do  harm  to  the  natural  development 
of  nature.  The  Heir  was  expected  in  June,  1902. 
Everything  was  in  readiness,  and  Her  Majesty 
waited  impatiently,  but  there  was  only  disappoint- 
ment. At  last  the  Emperor  was  obliged  to  call  in 
a  specialist,  who  pronounced  the  Empress  to  be 
suffering  from  an  illusion  I  The  case  was  given  a 
Latin  appellation,  scientifically  explained,  and  the 
incident  considered  closed.  But  no  pen  could 
adequately  describe  the  poignant  grief  and  bitter 
disappointment  suffered  by  the  unfortunate  Empress. 
The  hypnotist,  having  proved  such  a  dismal  failure, 
was  sent  back  to  France  in  disgrace,  where  he  died 
shortly  after  his  return. 

In  the  summer  of  1903,  the  ceremony  of  Saint 
Seraphim's  canonization  took  place  in  the  monastery 
of  Sarofi,  where  he  had  spent  the  greater  part  of 
his  holv  life,  and  where  he  was  buried.    The  Tzar 


20        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

and  his  Consort  were  present  at  the  religious  rites, 
and  took  part  in  all  the  processions.  A  passionate 
appeal  was  addressed  to  God  by  the  Imperial 
couple  to  send  them  the  blessing  of  a  son  and  Heir. 
The  »ill-famed  Rasputine,  who  later  attracted  so 
much  public  notice,  but  who  at  that  time  was  an 
obscure  person  unknown  to  the  Sovereigns,  was 
present  at  the  canonization  ceremonies,  in  the  guise 
of  a  tramping  pilgrim,  or,  as  such  men  are  called  in 
Russia,  "  Staretz."  He  prayed  for  a  long  time 
before  the  silver  shrine  containing  the  relics,  his 
devotional  prostration  resembling  a  trance.  Sub- 
sequently he  was  heard  to  prophesy  to  the  assembled 
crowd  that  a  new  miracle  was  about  to  take  place, 
and  that  a  year  would  not  elapse  before  the  birth 
of  the  long-expected  Heir  to  the  Russian  Throne 
would  gladden  the  country. 

After  ten  years  of  anxious  suspense;  the  Tzes- 
sarevitch  Alexis  was  born  on  July  30th,  o/s,  1904. 
The  war  with  Japan  was  at  its  height,  and  our 
reverses  dimmed  the  joy  that  in  other  circumstances 
the  nation  would  undoubtedly  have  felt.  For  the 
same  reason  no  public  rejoicings  commemorated 
the  happy  event,  but  the  Tzar  was  lavish  in  the 
many  bounties  and  privileges  he  granted.  All 
petitions  were  conceded,  and  their  numbers  increased 
to  such  an  enormous  extent  that  a  separate  Chancery 
had  to  be  established  to  investigate  them.  The 
christening  was  performed  in  Peterhof  with  great 
solemnity,  and  all  the  ladies  present  wore  their 
Court  apparel. 

During  these  halcyon  days  the  Empress  was  so 
engrossed  with  her  nursery  that  she  did  not  pay 


THE   EMPRESS'S   FOLLY  21 

much  attention  to  State  affairs,  and  limited,  her. 
interference  to  occasional  remarks. 

At  about  this  time  Mile.  Anna  Taneief  became  an 
intimate  of  the  Imperial  Household.  Mile.  Anna 
Taneief's  father  held  the  position  of  Chief  of  His 
Majesty's  Chancery.  He  had  occupied  this  post 
since  Alexander  Hi's  reign,  but  his  influence  at  that 
time  was  quite  unimportant.  Taneief  phe  is  the 
son  of  the  late  composer  Taneief,  and  he  started 
in  life  as  a  professor  of  the  Petrograd  Conservatoire. 
Alexander  III  was  passionately  fond  of  music  and 
had  his  own  amateur  orchestra,  in  which  he  played 
the  violoncello.  Music  brought  Taneief  into  touch 
with  the  Court,  and  eventually  he  exchanged  his 
musical  career  for  that  of  a  courtier. 

M.  Taneief  is  clever  and  intriguing ;  he  had  the 
good  fortune  to  impress  the  young  Empress  favour- 
ably and  it  soon  became  rumoured  that  he  was 
becoming  all-powerful.  It  was  he  who  instructed 
his  daughter  so  cleverly  that  she  accomplished  the 
difficult  feat  of  finding  favour  in  the  Sovereign's 
eyes.  Later  on,  he  continued  to  pull  the  strings 
to  such  purpose  that  Mile.  Taneief  was  the  firs.t 
lady-in-waiting  whom  the  Empress  treated  kindly 
and  really  Uked.  She  adroitly  insinuated  herself 
into  Her  Majesty's  confidence,  and  finally  became 
quite  indispensable  to  her  Imperial  Mistress.  When 
Mile.  Taneief  married  Lieutenant  Vyrouboff,  the 
marriage  took  place  in  the  Chapel  of  the  Palace  at 
Tzarskoe  Selo,  and  the  invitations  were  issued  from 
the  Court  as  for  a  Royal  marriage.  After  the 
wedding  of  Her  Majesty's  favourite,  the  intimacy 
continued,  and  developed  into  a  devoted  friendship. 


'  22        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

Madame  Vyrouboff's  conjugal  life  turned  out  a 
failure,  and  was  speedily  dissolved  after  a  terrible 
scandal.  No  one  knows  with  certainty  what  exactly 
happened,  but  the  facts  that  have  reached  the  public 
are  as  follows,  Lieutenant  Vyrouboif  was  appointed 
to  a  ship  which  was  going  round  the  world.  Wicked 
tongues  stated  that  the  appointment  had  been 
caused  by  the  wish  to  get  rid  of  him.  The  young 
husband  having  taken  an  affectionate  leave  of  his 
bride,  who  was  spending  the  summer  months  in 
Peterhof,  started  for  Cronstadt  to  join  his  ship. 
Arrived  there  he  was  informed  that,  in  consequence 
of  an  unforeseen  mishap  to  her  machinery,  the  ship 
could  only  be  ready  to  sail  on  the  next  day. 

Glad  of  the  opportunity  to  spend  another  day 
with  his  wife,  Lieutenant  Vyrouboff  took  the  next 
boat  to  Peterhof,  and  unexpectedly  turned  up  at  his 
wife's  **  datcha  "  (villa).  To  his  astonishment  he 
found  the  house  surrounded  by  police  agents,  who 
prevented  his  entrance  on  the  plea  of  the  Empress's 
presence.  After  a  long  walk  in  the  park  the  young 
officer  returned  to  his  house,  where  he  found  the 
police  still  in  full  force  and  his  entrance  barred, 
although  he  was  told  that  the  Empress  had  left. 
The  impetuous  sailor  became  furious  at  the  idea  of 
.  not  being  let  into  his  own  house.  He  used  violence 
and  forced  a  way  into  the  datcha. 

What  happened  after  his  sudden  appearance 
remained  a  mystery  to  the  uninitiated,  but  a  quarter 
of  an  hour  later,  Madame  Vyrouboff,  dishevelled  and 
shrieking;  ran  out  of  the  villa  and,  going  straight  to  the 
Summer  Palace  of  the  Imperial  Family,  took  refuge 
with  the  Empress.     Divorce  proceedings  were  im- 


O  oi 


H 

s 

8- 


THE   EMPRESS'S  FOLLY  23, 

mediately  instituted,  and  Madame  Vyrouboff  un- 
officially resumed  her  duties  in  attendance  on  the 
Empress.  It  was  said  at  the  time  that  it  was 
proposed  to  declare  Lieutenant  Vyrouboff  insane 
and  put  him  under  restraint,  but  the  Minister  of  the 
,  Court,  Baron  Fredericks  (he  had  not  then  been 
created  Count)  told  the  Emperor  frankly  that  such  a 
measure  would  provoke  great  displeasure  and  set 
public  opinion  against  the  Court. 

The  Dowager  Empress  was  a  pained  witness  of 
what  went  on  at  the  Imperial  Court.  She  was 
naturally  cognisant  of  all  the  circumstances  of  her 
son's  life,  and  her  disapproval  of  many  things  was 
manifest.  The  continual  spiritualistic  sittings  in- 
spired her  with  displeasure  and  anxiety,  her  very 
soul  revolting  at  the  idea  of  her  dead  husband's 
spirit  being  called  forth.  Her  Majesty  was  seriousty 
annoyed  with  the  Grand  Duke  Nicholas  and  his 
wife  for  aiding  and  abetting  the  young  Empress,  en- 
couraging her  mystical  proclivities  and  looking  out 
for  new  and  powerful  mediums  and  celebrated 
occultists. 

There  was  a  time  when  the  relations  between  the 
Dowager  Empress  and  the  Grand  Duchess  Anastasia. 
Nicolaievna  (the  wife  of  the  Grand  Duke  Nicholas)' 
became  very  strained.  Her  Majesty  accused  the 
Grand  Duchess  of  deliberately  intriguing  from 
personal  motives  against  her  maternal  authority  and 
influence,  and  she  flatly  refused  to  meet  Anastasia 
Nicolaievna.  But  Her  Majesty  could  do  nothing  to 
check  these  ominous  proceedings  ;  her  influence  over 
her  son,  which  had  once  been  so  strong,  was  now 
completely  gone.    The  Tzar  listened  only  to  his  wife. 


24        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

and  the  estrangement  between  mother  and  daughter- 
in-law  continued  to  increase. 

Until  the  birth  of  her  son,  the  Empress  held  herself 
under  some  restraint ;  she  considered  that  in  not 
giving  an  Heir  to  the  Crown,  she  had  failed  in  her 
duty  towards  the  country  and  the  Dynasty,  and  the 
morbidness  of  her  character  only  helped  to  emphasize 
this  feeling.  But  with  the  birth  of  the  Tzessarevitch 
she  changed  completely,  and  asserted  herself  in  a 
way  she  had  not  hitherto  attempted.  One  of  the 
first  consequences  of  this  newly  acquired  self- 
reliance  was  the  determined  stand  she  took  against 
her  mother-in-law,  and  the  breach  between  the  two 
Imperial  Ladies  widened  immeasurably.  The 
Dowager  Empress  withdrew  completely  from  public 
and  social  lite  and  seldom  appeared  at  her  son's 
Court,  where  in  the  eyes  of  the  young  Empress, 
she  was  an  unwelcome  guest. 

Nothing,  however,  not  even  his  devotion  to  his 
wife,  could  make  the  Tzar  waver  in  his  affectionate 
allegiance  to  his  mother,  but  though  he  loved  her, 
he  was  often  guilt}'  of  offending  her,  owing  to  his 
wife's  influence.  The  close  intimacy  that  had 
formerly  existed  between  the  Emperor  and  his 
sisters  ceased  by  degrees,  and  the  ties  of  friendship 
with  some  of  his  cousins  were  severed.  The  Em- 
press brought  dissension  into  the  very  bosom  of  his 
family,  she  came  between  him  and  all  his  affections, 
and  alienated  him  completely  from  his  kinsfolk. 


CHAPTER   II 

THE   CLOUDS   GATHER 

NAPOLEON  would  willingly  have  crushed  the 
Kingdom  of  Prussia  completely  after  the 
Battle  of  Jena,  dethroning  the  king,  Frederick 
William  III,  and  turning  the  country  into  a  large 
province.  The  French  Emperor  was  only  hindered 
from  this  extreme  measure  by  the  interference  of 
the  Russian  Emperor  Alexander  I,  who,  moved  by 
the  beauty  and  sorrow  of  the  unfortunate  Queen 
Louise  of  Prussia,  chivalrously  resolved  in  this 
instance  to  act  as  her  champion.  Russian  his- 
torians and  politicians  have  often  reproached 
Alexander  I  for  advocating  the  cause  of  Prussia, 
and  not  considering  the  interests  of  his  own  country, 
for  the  abolition  of  the  kingdom  of  Prussia  would 
have  been  a  political  advantage  to  Russia.  The 
HohenzoUerns  have  never  got  over  the  humiliating 
role  they  were  obliged  to  play,  and  Prussia  never 
forgave  Russia  for  the  fact  that  she  owes  her  very 
existence  to  the  generosity  of  the  Russian  Tzar. 

The  German  Kaisers  have  always  played  a  double 
part  towards  Russia.  Notwithstanding  the  close 
tie  of  kinship  that  bound  him  to  the  House  of 
Romanoff,  and  his  professed  friendship  for  his 
brother-in-law,  Nicholas  I,  his  nephew,  Alexander 

26 


26        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

II,  and  his  great-nephew,  Alexander  III,  the  Kaiser 
was  always  wary  in  his  politics.  Whereas  the 
Russian  Tzars,  Nicholas  I  and  Alexander  II,  were 
sincere  in  their  loyalty  to  Prussia  and  their  devotion 
to  the  German  Sovereign,  Alexander  III  disliked 
the  Germans  and  mistrusted  them  ;  but  he  held  his 
old  great-uncle  in  high  esteem,  although  he  thorough- 
ly detested  the  latter' s  grandson,  the  present 
Kaiser  Wilhelm. 

Instigated  by  Prince  Bismarck,  William  I  saw  an 
everlasting  danger-signal  in  the  developing  power 
of  the  mighty  Empire  so  close  to  Germany's  frontier. 
He  strained  every  nerve  by  intrigue  to  stem  the  tide 
of  Russia's  power  and  progress.  His  grandson, 
William  II,  zealously  followed  this  system,  even 
more  eagerly,  for  in  his  case  the  traditional  friendship 
with  the  Russian  monarchs,  Alexander  III  and 
Nicholas  II,  was  only  a  pretence. 

The  present  war  has  revealed  many  things,  and 
numerous  damning  circumstances  have  been  brought 
to  light.  A  widespread  German  spying  net  has  been 
for  years  ingeniously  woven  and  stretched  all  over 
Russia.  German  agents  filled  the  country.  Some 
of  them  lived  in  Russia  for  years,  having  established 
themselves  as  wholesale  merchants,  shopkeepers, 
brokers,  land-agents,  etc.  Others  came  '  over  as 
bank-clerks  or  business  men.  Most  of  these  Germans 
seemed  to  be  quite  accustomed  to  their  new  country 
and  boasted  of  their  devotion.  At  heart  they  were ' 
traitors  to  the  nation  that  had  given  them  such 
generous  hospitality.  Their  mission  consisted  of 
spying  and  carrying  out  German  orders  to  Russia's 
detriment.    Nothing  evil  happened  in  Russia  with- 


THE  CLOUDS  GATHER  27 

out  Germany's  connivance.  The  wires  were  pulled 
in  Berlin.  It  has  been  irrefutably  proved  that 
man)?-  revolutionary  movements  and  acts  of  terrorism 
in  this  country  were  inspired  from  the  banks  of  the 
Spree.  . 

Germany  did  everything  to  weaken  the  Russian 
Government  and  further  its  unpopularity  among 
the  population.  By  sundry  well-planned  intrigues, 
Germany  kept  Great  Britain  and  Russia  from 
fraternising.  She  created  obstacles  to  Russian 
politics  in  Persia,  China  and  Turkey,  and  she  played 
a  perfidious  part  in  the  Balkans.  Her  aim  was  to 
isolate  Russia  completely  from  all  political  alliances 
and  friendships.  Being  at  the  bottom  of  every 
political  calamity  that  befel  Russia,  it  is  not  to  be 
wondered  at  that  the  Russo-Japanese  war  was  to 
a  great  extent  provoked  by  the  clever  machinations 
of  Kaiser  Wilhelm's  agents.  Berlin  was  far  better 
informed  of  the  state  of  our  army,  navj',  and  muni- 
tions than  Petrograd.  It  was  the  object  of  the 
crafty  Wilhelm  and  his  satellites  to  implicate  Russia 
in  an  unsuccessful  war. 

It  must,  however,  be  acknowledged  that  a  great 
part  of  our  failures  was  due  to  a  fatal  ill-luck, 
which  pursued  the  Russians  from  the  first  day  of 
the  war.  The  reverses  sustained  caused  great 
discouragement  among  the  Russians  and  distrust 
of  the  way  things  were  managed.  Count  Witte 
was  sent  to  Portsmouth,  U.S.A.,  to  discuss  the 
conditions  of  peace,  but  the  Count  inspired  but 
little  confidence.  He  was  known  to  be  a  man  of 
undoubted  intellect  and  mental  strength,  but  he 
had  the  reputation  of  being  utterly  unscrupulous 


28        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

in  his  methods,  and  untrustworthy.  People  were 
therefore  inclined  to  be  sceptical  when  they  knew  that 
such  an  important  mission  was  entrusted  to  him. 

Many  people  in  Russia,  especially  in  military 
circles,  considered  the  moment  unfavourable  for  • 
peace  pourparlers.  It  was  known  that  General 
Kuropatkine's  successor.  General  Linevitch,  had 
sent  an  urgent  wire  insisting  on  the  continuation 
of  the  war.  The  Japanese  were  completely  ex- 
hausted, and  he  had  formed  a  powerful  armj?-  ready 
for  the  attack.  For  these  reasons  the  news  that 
peace  had  been  concluded  was  greeted  with  great 
reserve.  The  young  Empress  was  especially  in- 
sistent on  peace  being  ratified,  but  her  pacific 
endeavours  were  not  appreciated  by  the  nation. 
"  A  German  Princess  cannot  be  expected  to  care 
for  Russia's  dignity  "  was  said  of  her  at  the  time. 

The  year  1905  was  an  exceptionally  ill-fated  one 
for  Russia.  The  workmen's  demonstration,  which 
ended  so  tragically,  took  place  on  January  9th,  o/s. 
Thousands  of  workmen,  headed  by  the  priest  Gapon, 
advanced  towards  the  Winter  Palace,  intent  on 
exacting  a  Constitutional  Government  from  the 
Tzar.  The  majority  came  from  the  neighbourhood 
of  Petrograd.  In  great  numbers  they  streamed  in 
from  Kolpino,  Schlusselburg,  the  Putiloff  foundry, 
etc.,  and  were  joined  by  the  workmen  of  the  capital. 
On  reaching  the  Square  facing  the  Winter  Palace, 
they  formed  a  threatening  crowd. 

The  authorities  were  well  aware  of  the  forthcoming 
manifestation,  and  made  the  great  mistake  of  not 
stopping  each  separate  procession,  obliging  all  to 
go  back.     Instead  thej'-  allowed  their  numbers  to 


THE  CLOUDS  GATHER  29 

accumulate,  and,  instead  of  dispersing  them  gradually 
and  preventing  them  from  reaching  the  town,  they 
were  left  unmolested  until  they  had  reached  their 
destination  and  asked  to  be  led  before  the  Tzar. 
The  Imperial  Family  resided  as  usual  in  Tzarskoe 
Selo.  The  crowd  was  ordered  to  disperse,  they  were 
told  that  the  Sovereign  was  not  in  the  Palace,  but 
^  the  assembled  masses  did  not  budge.  They  were 
warned  that  if  they  did  not  move  on,  the  order  to 
shoot  would  be  given.  After  the  third  warning,  the 
first  discharge  was  made  and  the  Square  before 
the  Winter  Palace  became  the  scene  of  bloodshed 
and  confusion. 

The  late  General  Dmitry  Trepoff  was  at  that  time 
the  Governor- General  of  Petrograd.  He  was  a  man 
of  energy  and  resolution,  devoted  to  the  Tzar  and 
to  the  autocratic  power  of  the  monarch.  At  that 
stage  only  severe  measures  could  stem  the  current. 
The  General  gave  the  order  to  shoot,  adding  the 
words  that  have  since  become  famous,  and  which 
have  often  been  used  as  a  reproach  against  the 
•Government  :  "  Do  not  spare  cartridges  "  !  And 
cartridges  were  not  spared  I  Volleys  of  rifle  fire 
succeeded  each  other,  the  place  was  strewn  with 
bodies  of  the  killed  and  wounded.  The  priest 
Gapon  divested  himself  of  his  cassock,  which 
concealed  the  uniform  of  a  university  student,  and 
in  this  guise  fled  from  the  scene  of  slaughter.  As 
to  the  rest  of  his  flock.  .  .  it  was  a  general 
sauve  qui  peut. 

This  disastrous  event,  the  cause  of  so  much  useless 
bloodshed  and  misery,  produced  the  most  painful  im- 
pression on  people  of  all  parties.    The  victims  were 


30         THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

numerous.  The  workmen  had  chosen  a  Simday 
for  their  demonstration  and  the  traffic  in  the  streets 
was  greater  than  usual,  and  the  casualties  were  very 
numerous.  Among  the  killed  and  wounded  were 
many  quite  unconnected  with  the  demonstration, 
who  happened  to  be  passing  near  to  the  scene  of 
disaster.  The  Tzar,  on  being  informed  of  the  tragic 
event,  endeavoured  to  smooth  matters  over.  He 
gave  the  order  for  all  manufactories  and  foundries  to 
select  two  deputies  each,  and  send  the  assembled 
deputation  to  the  halls  of  the  Winter  Palace.  On  the 
day  fixed  for  the  reception,  the  Sovereign  came  over 
from  Tzarskoe  Selo  to  the  hall  where  the 
workmen  were  gathered.  He  took  their  collective 
petition,  questioned,  them  on  the  reason  for  their 
complaints,  and  promised  that  their  claims  should 
have  consideration.'  After  that  interview  the  rights 
and  privileges  of  the  workmen  were  somewhat 
increased.  The  men's  complaints  ceased  for  a  time, 
but  they  nursed  their  resentment.  Mutiny  was  in 
the  air. 

As  to  the  priest  Gapon,  who  had  inspired  the 
manifestation  and  was  the  recognised  leader  of  the 
workmen,  he  disappeared  completely.  At  first  no 
one  knew  what  had  happened  to  him  after  his  flight, 
but  the  fact  was  soon  revealed  that  the  enterprising 
priest  had  been  spirited  away  and  had  safely  reached 
the  Riviera.  Here  he  was  frequently  seen  at  the 
gaming-tables  of  Monte  Carlo.  In  fact  his  escape 
in  the  crowd  and  subsequently  from  the  country, 
leaving  no  trace,  was  successful  to  the  extent  of 
causing  sceptics  to  suspect  the  intervention,  of  the 
police.    This  gave  rise  to  the  story  that  Gapon  was 


THE  CLOUDS  GATHER  31 

an  "  agent  provocateur,"  but  the  men's  trust  in  him 
remained  unshaken. 

After  October  17th  o/s,  and  the  amnesty  to  all 
political  emigrants,  the  priest  returned  to  Russia, 
and  played  the  part  of  mediator  between  the  Govern- 
ment and  workmen.  A  few  months  later  he 
vanished,  and  for  a  long  time  his  fate  remained  an 
unfathomable  mystery,  until  his  body  was  un- 
expectedly discovered  hanging  in  one  of  the  rooms 
of  an  uninhabited  datcha  (villa)  of  Ozerky,  a  summer 
resort  at  about  half  an  hour's  distance  by  rail  from 
Petrograd.  He  had  obviously  fallen  a  victim  to  his 
enemies  lying  in  ambush  for  him.  No  one  knows 
with  certainty  what  occurred  on  the  fatal  day  of  his 
disappearance.  Was  Gapon  murdered  by  order  of 
the  secret  police,  who  feared  he  knew  too  much  ? 
or  had  his  partisans  discovered  the  double  game  he 
was  playing  and  taken  their  revenge  ?  The  circum- 
stances of  his  murder  were  shrouded  in  mystery  and 
gave  rise  to  numerous  stories.  The  real  facts  are 
known  only  to  those  who  planned  the  ghastly  drama 
— and  they  have  kept  their  own  council. 

Astory  was  current  at  the  time  that  an  engineer, 
Ruthenberg,  in  the  guise  of  a  poUce-agent,  had 
entered  into  negotiations  with  Gapon  and,  on  the  day 
he  was  made  away  with,  had  enticed  him  to  Ozerky 
to  receive  a  large  sum  of  money  in  return  for  services 
he  was  to  render  to  the  secret  police.  Several  of  his 
partisans  were  secreted  in  the  isolated  house.  When 
they  heard  the  evidence  of  his  treachery,  they  came 
forward,  overpowered  the  defenceless  man,  sat  in 
judgment  upon  him,  sentenced  him  to  death,  and  he 
was  forthwith  executed.    The  engineer  Ruthenberg 


32        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

—some  people  state  the  name  was  only  an  assumed 
one — was  lost  sight  of  at  the  same  time,  but  the 
rumour  was  circulated  that  he  had  been  heard  of  in 
Switzerland. 

A  few  months  prior  to  those  Gapon  demonstrations, 
the  Minister  of  the  Interior,  M.  Plehve,  had  been 
killed  by  a  bomb  hurled  into  his  carriage  by  a 
student  named  Sazonoff,  a  member  of  a  secret 
revolutionary  societj^  When  death  overtook  him, 
the  Minister  was  on  his  way  to  the  Baltic  Station 
to  take  the  train  to  Peterhof ,  where  the  Tzar  resided. 
This  assassination  was  a  misfortune  to  the  monarchy, 
for  the  Tzar  lost  in  him  one  of  the  strongest  pillars 
of  autocratic  rule.  Plehve  was  a  powerful  man,  full 
of  mental  vigour,  ability  and  energy,  who  never 
wavered  in  his  resolutions.  All  his  numerous  suc- 
cessors, not  excepting  even  Stolypine,  seem  pigmies 
in  comparison  to  him.  Plehve  struggled  with  the 
revolutionists  according  to  his  lights  and  kept  them 
at  bay.  Had  he  been  alive,  the  political  movement 
of  the  workmen  would  have  been  nipped  in  the  bud. 
He  would  likewise  have  found  means  to  suppress 
Rasputine  at  the  beginning  of  his  career,  before  his 
demoralizing  influence  had  become  so  great. 

This  all-powerful  hand  safeh?-  removed,  the  revolu- 
tionists and  socialists  breathed,  and  hastened  to 
proceed  with  their  agitation.  The  next  terrorist 
act  was  the  assassination  of  the  Grand  Duke  Serge 
Alexandrovitch,  which  occurred  on  February  4th 
o/s,  1905,  in  Moscow.  The  Grand  Duke  was 
disliked  in  Moscow.  The  arbitrary  methods  of  his 
administration  gave  rise  to  serious  displeasure,  and, 
above  all,  he  was  feared  for  the  influence  he  wielded 


THE  CLOUDS  GATHER  33 

over  the  Tzar.  An  attempt  on  the  Grand  Duke's 
life  had  been. for  some  time  expected.  The  Grand 
Duchess  EHsab^th  even  received  anonymous  warn- 
ings not  to  accompany  her  husband  if  she  did  not 
wish  to  share  the  fate  that  was  in  store  for  him. 
Knowing  that  her  presence  protected  him,  the  Grand 
Duchess  kept  continually  at  his  side  in  public. 

On  this  ill-fated  day  the  Grand  Duke  was  going  to 
visit  one  of  his  favourite  friends,  and  his  wife  did  not 
accompany  him.  He  was  hardly  out  of  the  portals 
of  the  Kremlin  Palace,  when  a  terrible  explosion  was 
heard.  The  Grand  Duchess  rushed  out  hatless,  with 
a  wrap  carelessly  thrown  over  her  shoulders,  and  was 
in  time  to  see  the  police  collect  the  remains  of  what 
had,  only  a  short  time  before,  been  her  husband.  The 
head  of  the  murdered  Grand  Duke  was  not  disfigured, 
but  all  the  rest  of  his  remains  that  could  be  gathered 
together  filled  only  a  small  square  box.  The 
arrested  murderer,  a  student,  Kolaeif  by  name,  was* 
only  slightly  wounded. 

The  bereaved  widow  visited  the  murderer  in  his 
prison-cell,  and  asked  him  the -reason  of  his  act. 
Kolaeff  was  greatly  taken  aback  when  he  saw  the 
Grand  Duchess  in  her  weeds  standing  before  him. 
He  -was  visibly  perturbed,  still  he  answered  her 
question  and  told  her  that  men  like  the  late  Grand 
Duke  were  the  enemies  of  mankind,  being  the 
repressors  of  liberty  and  progress,  and  they  had  to 
be  removed.  He  wept  when  she  asked  him  if,  when 
he  planned  the  murder,  he  had  thought  of  her  grief. 

He  refused  the  small  medal-ikon  she  wished  to 
give  him  as  a  token  of  her  forgiveness. 

This  visit  to  the  prison-cell  of  her  husband's 


34        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

murderer  was  interpreted  in  various  wa}^.  Every- 
one judged  the  step  from  a  different  standpoint,  but 
the  majority  were  critically  inclined,  and  considered 
the  visit  a  serious  breach  of  good  taste.  At  the  trial 
it  was  revealed  that  Kolaeff  had  for  some  time 
watched  for  an  opportunity  to  throw  the  bomb  he 
kept  in  his  pocket  for  that  purpose.  He  had  for 
several  days  hovered  near  the  Kremlin  Palace,  but 
each  time  he  saw  the  Grand  Duke  his  wife  had  been 
with  him,  and  callous  though  the  assassin  was,  the 
fear  lest  she  should  share  the  doom  of  her  husband 
stayed  his  hand. 

It  has  since  transpired  that  the  assassination  of 
M.  Plehve  and  the  Grand  Duke  Serge  would  never 
have  succeeded  but  for  the  machinations  of  one  of  the 
most  despicable  individuals  who  combined  the  part 
ot  revolutionist  and  pohce  agent,  being  traitor  to  both 
causes.  Owing  to  the  revelations  of  M.  Burtzeff,  one 
of  the  most  notable  of  Russian  political  emigrants, 
who  spent  many  years  in  Paris,  the  treacherous 
share  of  Azefi,  one  of  the  most  valued  secret  agents 
of  the  police,  in  the  organization  of  these  murders, 
does  not  leave  room  for  the  slightest  doubt.  Seven 
years  later  the  Prime  Minister,  Stolypine,  fell,  shot 
by  a  similar  agent-provocateur. 

The  Tzar  was  deeply  grieved  at  the  terrible  fate 
of  his  uncle  and  brother-in-law,  with  whom  he  had 
always  been  on  the  most  affectionate  terms.  The 
shock  sustained  by  the  Empress  has  never  been 
entirely  effaced.  Her  health  gave  way  and  her 
nerves  became  irtterly  unstrung.  Both  the  Sovereigns 
wanted  to  start  for  Moscow,  but  the  state  of  mind 
of  the  people  there  made  this  undesirable,  and  much 


THE  CLOUDS  GATHER  35 

against  their  will,  they  were  persuaded  to  relinquish 
this  purpose.  The  Tzar's  youngest  uncle,  the  Grand 
Duke  Paul,  who  was  exiled  from  Russia  inconsequence 
of  his  having  contracted  a  morganatic  marriage  with 
Madame  Pistohlcorse  against  the  Tzar's  wishes,  was 
immediately  sent  for.  The  Grand  Dukes  Serge  and 
Paul  had  been  brought  up  together  and  had  been 
devoted  to  each  other.  A  reconciliation  between 
uncle  and  nephew  took  place.  The  Grand  Duke 
Paul  and  his  cousin,  the  late  Grand  Duke  Constan- 
tine,  were  the  only  representatives  of  the  Imperial 
Family  present  at  the  obsequies  in  Moscow. 

The  next  blow  was  the  disaster  of  Tsussima,  which 
by  the  irony  of  fate  occurred  on  May  14th,  the 
Coronation  day.  This  was  a  blow  not  only  to  the 
Imperial  Family,  but  to  the  whole  nation.  The 
destruction  of  Admiral  Rogestvensky's  fleet,  the 
loss  of  so  many  lives,  the  dramatic  circumstances 
attending  the  battle,  all  were  a  great  trial  to  the 
nation.  Some  people  had,  from  the  first,  been 
against  the  useless  sacrifice  of  sending  Admiral 
Rogestvensky  at  the  head  of  a  fleet  composed  of 
antiquated  warships,  but  the  disapprobation  in- 
creased to  a  clamour  after  the  overthrow  of  Russia's 
hopes.  As  a  matter  of  fact  the  fleet  had  been 
equipped  partly  to  assuage  public  opinion,  the 
Chiefs  of  the  Admiralty  had  but  little  hope  of  the 
success  of  the  enterprise.  Even  Admiral  Rogest- 
vensky felt  that  he  was  going  to  his  doom. 

For  months  before  the  fleet  sailed,  the  newspapers 
published  articles  full  of  upbraiding  and  indignation 
at  the  indifference  of  the  Admiralty  in  not  sending  a 
fleet  to  relieve  Port  Arthur.    They  pointed  out  the 


36        THE  FALL  OF  THE^ROMANOFFS 

available  ships,  indicating  the  repairs  necessary, 
and  blamed  the  Naval  Authorities.  It  was  Captain 
Klado  who  wrote  the  most  uncompromising  articles 
about  the  hesitation  manifested  in  sending  the  fleet. 
He  did  not  mince  matters  and  boldly  accused  the 
Admiralty  of  committing  a  crime  b}^  their  slackness. 

These  articles,  which  daily  appeared  in  the  Novoe 
Vremia-,  fired  public  opinion,  for  Captain  Klado  was 
a  sailor  and  had  an  eloquent  pen.  His  opinion  was 
considered  authoritative,  and  he  became  the  hero  of 
the  moment,  especially  after  his  arrest  in  consequence 
of  having  written  articles  on  naval  matters  "without 
the  authorisation  of  his  chief.  During  the  days  of 
his  punishment  his  room  was  turned  into  a  bower  of 
roses,  and  all  his  readers  vied  with  each  other  in 
showing  him  all  kinds  of  attentions.  But  alas  ! 
Captain  Klado  had  been  wrong  in  his  optimistic 
views,  woefully  wrong  ! 

The  ex  Tzar  has  often  been  accused  of  not  having 
felt  deeply  the  reyerses  of  the  Russo-Japanese  war, 
and  that  the  disaster  of  Tsussima  left  him  indifferent, 
but  in  this  case  the  reproach  is  unmerited.  The 
Sovereign  was  very  much  depressed,  and  did  all  in 
his  power  to  assist  the  widows  and  orphans.  Many 
pensions  were  paid  out  of  his  own  private  purse. 
Orphan  boys  were  taken  gratuitously  into  cadet 
corps  and  other  educational  establishments.  The 
administration  of  Palaces  all  over  the  country  was 
entrusted  to  officers  who  had  been  through  the 
Manchurian  Campaign.  But  Nicholas  II  is  by 
nature  extremely  reserved,  he  exercises  a  wonderful 
self-control,  his  pallor  being  the  one  visible  sign  of 
agitation  he  manifests.     It  is  only  those  who  know 


THE  CLOUDS  GATHER  37 

him  intimately  who  can  detect  when  he  is  under  the 
stress  of  some  painful  emotion. 

When  the  Members  of  the  Duma  came  to  Pscov  to 
persuade  him  to  resign  in  favour  of  his  son,  the  Tzar 
was  the  calmest  of  the  three.  When  later  on,  in 
Mohilev,  he  was  told  that  several  members  of  the 
Duma  were  on  their  way  to  arrest  and  escort  him  in 
his  train  to  Tzarskoe  Selo,  he  showed  an  imperturb- 
ability that  was  astonishing,  and  even  had  the 
presence  of  mind  to  suggest  that  the  deputies  should 
be  invited  to  dinner. 

"  But  to  resume  the  thread  of  this  narrative  I  must 
return  to  the  events  of  1905.  The  summer  months 
passed  quietly  enough,  but  the  storm  was  brewing, 
displeasure  reigned  amongst  the  people,  centring 
mostly  among  the  working  classes.  In  the  first  days 
of  October  the  strikes  in  Petrograd  commenced  on  a 
gigantic  scale.  There  was  no  electric  light,  no  water, 
no  daily  papers,  the  trains  were  forcibly  stopped  and 
no  post  delivery  admitted.  At  this  period  of  the 
year  the  days  are  very  short,  darkness,  sets  in  earty 
and  numbers  of  hooligans  invaded  the  dimly  lighted 
streets,  stopping  carriages,  molesting  inoffensive 
pedestrians,  smashing  shop-windows,  sacking, 
pillaging  and  destroying  what  they  could  lay  hands 
on.  Everything  was  in  a  state  of  confusion.  This 
lasted  for  several  days. 

It  was  at  this  juncture  that  Count  Witte  (he  had 
just  returned  from  America,"  and  the  title  of  Count 
had  been  conferred  on  him),  with  the  aid  of  the 
Grand  Duke  Nicholas,  persuaded  the  Tzar  to  make 
concessions  and  grant  a  Constitutional  Government. 
The  Manifesto  embodying  these  things  was  hurriedly 


38        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

composed  without  due  deliberation,  by  Count  Witte. 
It  contained  many  weak  points,  but  its  principal 
feature  was  the  approaching  convocation  of  the  Duma. 
This  would  give  the  power  to  the  representatives  of 
all  classes  of  the  population  to  deliberate  on  the 
measures  and  reforms  required  for  the  weal  of  the 
nation. 

The  well-known  journalist,  M.  Menshikoff,  relates 
in  his  diary  that  a  few  days  before  October  17th  o  /s, 
he  was  invited  to  call  on  Count  Witte,  who  requested 
him  to  draw  up  the  Manifesto  under  consideration. 
For  several  days  the  eminent  writer  remained 
closeted  in  his  study,  weighing  every  word  to  be 
included  in  a  document  that  would  have  become 
historical.  The  draft  was  duly  delivered  to  the 
Count ;  but  it  never  saw  the  light  of  day.  Quite  a 
di^erent  Manifesto  appeared  on  October  17th,  and 
M.  Menshikoff  has  never  heard  why  the  one  drawn 
up  by  him  was  discarded.  The  assembling  of  the 
Duma  was  fixed  for  the  following  month  of  May. 
The  Government  was  to  be  somewhat  modified, 
but  the  Ministry  was  not  to  be  a  responsible  one,  as 
is  the  case  in  England  and  France.  It  was  said  at 
the  time  that  the  German  Emperor,  from  motives  oi 
personal  interest,  had  strongly  dissuaded  the  Tzar 
from  granting  a  responsible  Ministry.  It.was  to  be  a 
"  United  Ministry  "  instead. 

The  strikes  ceased  as  if  by  magic,  but  the  riots 
continued,  and  it  was  only  thanks  to  the  energy  of 
the  Minister  of  the  Interior,  the  late  M.  Peter 
Nicolaievitch  Doumovo,  that  order  was  again 
restored.  Count  Witte  was  appointed  Prime 
Minister,  but  he  occupied  this  post  only  for  a  short 


THE  CLOUDS  GATHER  39 

time.  His  attitude  was  strange,  it  seemed  as  if  he 
did  not  wish  to  appease  people's  minds,  and  his 
transactions  with  the  representatives  of  the  Labour 
Party  were  extremely  doubtful. 

Count  Witte  was  succeeded  by  M.  Stolypine,  who 
filled  the  post  until  the  day  of  his  death,  about  six 
years  later.  M.  Stolypine  took  the  portfolio  of  the 
Interior  likewise,  for  his  predecessor  M.  Dournovo, 
though  a  very  able  man,  was  considered  retro- 
gressive, and  was  unpopular  in  Liberal  circles.  It 
was  therefore  thought  injudicious  to  keep  him  at  the 
head  of  such  an  important  administration  at  such  a 
critical  moment.  Notwithstanding  the  Manifesto 
and  the  concessions  granted,  the  disturbances  con- 
tinued. Moscow  became  the  scene  of  an  insurrection, 
which  after  much  bloodshed  was  finally  repressed  by 
the  Governor-General  Dubassoff.  Agrarian  dis- 
orders occurred  in  most  parts  of  the  country,  and 
numerous  estates  were  totally  destroyed.  A  year 
later  the  Letts  and  the  Estonians  revolted  in  the 
Baltic  provinces,  and  had  to  be  repressed  by  armed 
force. 

It  was  known  throughout  the  country  that  at  the 
first  signal  of  danger  to  the  Throne,  German  troops 
were  in  readiness  to  crush  the  insurgents.  Everyone 
knew  that  the  order  given  out  by  General  Trepoff, 
"  Don't  spare  cartridges  "  was  inspired  from  Berlin. 

Both  the  first  Dumas  were  failures.  The  elections 
took  place  at  a  time  when  people's  minds  were  still 
in  a  state  of  ferment.  Numerous  members  were 
elected  who  had  neither  the  required  education  nor 
the  necessary  enlightenment  to  fulfil  the  require- 
ments of  a  deputy.     The  majority  of  the  elected 


40        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

members  had  not  the  most  elementary  notions  of 
parliamentary  proceedings,  and  they  formed  a 
heterogeneous  assembly.  The  sessions  developed  into 
a  series  of  storms  and  cyclones.  Both  the  first  and 
second  Dumas  were  short-lived. 

The  third  and  fourth  Dumas  were  more  judiciously 
composed,  although  the  partisans  of  the  Right  were 
all  the  time  in  a  large  minority.  It  was  a  perpetual 
struggle '  between  the  Government  and  the  Duma, 
and  the  polemics  bore  the  character  of  a  wrangling 
feud,  with  occasional  brilliant  speeches  and  smart 
utterances.  No  serious  work  could  be  done  under 
such  conditions.  The  Government  accused  the 
Duma  of  hindering  all  its  efforts,  and  the  Duma 
upbraided  the  Government  for  having  no  efforts  to 
hinder.  Those  were  the  relations  between  the  old 
Government  and  the  Duma  during  the  first  ten  years 
of  the  latter's  existence. 

About  this  time  (1905 — 1906)  the  strange  conduct 
of  the  Empress  Alexandra  became  noticeable.  Her 
Majesty  never  appeared  in  public,  private  audiences 
were  unwillingly  granted  and  only  in  the  most  urgent 
cases.  Court  receptions  were  abolished.  On  those 
occasions,  when  a  Court  pageant  or  banquet  could 
not  be  avoided,  it  was  the  Dowager  Empress  Marie 
who,  at  her  son's  side,  came  forward  to  greet  the 
assembled  guests.  No  one,  except  the  restricted  Court 
circle,  saw  the  Empress,  and  all  kinds  of  rurriours 
were  spread  about  regarding  her  peculiarities. 
Some  said  that,  fearing  to  grow  stout,  she  had 
followed  the  system  of  a  German  "  Entfettungscur  " 
(a  cure  to  dissolve  the  increasing  fat)  against  the 
advice  of  her  doctor,  and  the  result  was  a  complete 


THE  CLOUDS  GATHER  41 

breakdown  of  the  nervous  system.  Others  stated 
that  she  suffered  from  nervous  eczema,  which  at 
times  covered  her  face  and  hands  and  prevented  her 
showing  herself  in  pubhc.  Some  affirmed  she  was 
the  \'ictim  of  an  acute  form  of  neurotic  heart 
disease,  and  at  times  could  not  bear  the  presence  of 
more  than  one  person  in  her  vicinity.  Others 
believed  she  was  simply  mad. 

Her  Majesty  began  taking  a  vivid  interest  in 
church  matters  and  clerical  affairs  ;  her  devotion 
taking  a  fanatical  turn.  She  showed  a  marked 
predilection  for  pilgrims  and  monks.  At  this 
inauspicious  moment  the  name  of  Rasputine  was 
first  mentioned  in  connection  with  the  Court.  In  a 
fatal  moment  Rasputine  was  taken  up  by  the  Bishop 
Theophanus,  the  confessor  of  the  Imperial  Family. 
The  Bishop  introduced  him  to  the  Dowager  Countess 
Ignatieff,  whose  renowned  clerical  Monday  receptions 
were  the  rendezvous  of  distinguished  prelates, 
theologians  and  people  interested  in  Church  questions. 
Rasputine  achieved  a  decided  success  in  the  salon 
of  the  Countess,  especially  amongst  the  ladies,  some 
of  whom  became  his  ardent  followers,  one  of  his 
principal  **  disciples  "  being  Madame  Golovine,  the 
elder  sister  of  the  Grand  Duke  Paul's  morganatic 
wife.  Princess  Paley  (better  known  abroad  by  her 
former  title  of  Countess  Hohenfelsen)  and  her  two 
daughters.     Rasputine  began  to  be  talked  about  I 

When  it  was  discovered  that  Rasputine  was  gifted 
with  a  marvellous  hypnotic  power,  Bishop 
Theophanus,  Jcnowing  the  vogue  of  hypnotists  at 
the  Imperial  Court,  spoke  of  him  to  the  Empress 
and  brought  him  into  her  presence.    The  Empress's 


42        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

friend,  Madame  Vyrouboff  had  previously  met 
Rasputine  at  one  of  the  smart  houses  of  Petrograd, 
and  had  fallen  under  his  spell.  It  was  at  her 
instigation  that  Bishop  Theophanus  introduced  the 
**  staretz  "  at  Court.  Her  Majesty  found  the  priest's 
presence  had  a  soothing  effect  upon  her  shattered 
nerves.  Thus  commenced  the  favour  of  Rasputine 
that  was  to  lead  to  such  fatal  developments. 

Later  on,  when  the  Bishop  discovered  the  true 
character  of  the  scoundrel  who  posed  as  a  saint, 
when  he  had  proofs  of  his  profligacy,  he  deeply 
reproached  himself  for  having  lent  himself  to  the 
introduction  of  this  obnoxious  creature  into  high 
spheres.  The  Bishop  tried  to  undo  the  harm  he  had 
caused.  He  openty  disowned  him,  and  endeavoured 
to  prevail  on  the  Emperor  to  have  him  sent  back  to 
bis  native  village  in  Siberia.  He  disclosed  the  true 
nature  of  Rasputine,  but  it  was  too  late.  The 
influence  this  pseudo  saint  was  gaining  over  the 
Empress's  mind  was  daity  increasing,  and  the  sole 
result  of  the  Bishop's  warning  was  that  he  made 
an  implacable  enemy  of  the  new  favourite,  and  fell 
into  complete  disgrace  with  the  Empress,  with  the 
result  that  he  was  removed  to  another  diocese  far 
away  from  the  capital. 

Rasputine  came  to  Petrograd  in  1906  and  ever 
since  has  been  the  Court's  evil  spirit,  who  has 
steadily  led  the  Empress,  and  through  her  the 
Emperor,  to  their  downfall. 

Qtws  Deus  vult  perdere  dementat  I 


CHAPTER  III 

THE   COMING  OF  RASPUTINE 

THE  question  naturally  arises,  who  was  this 
mysterious  Rasputine,  who  for  so  many  years 
swayed  the  destines  of  this  mighty  Empire, 
and  what  was  the  secret  of  the  unbounded  influence 
he  wielded  over  the  Empress  Alexandra  ? 

Gregory  Rasputine  was  a  simple  mujik  (peasant), 
hailing  from  the  village  of  Pokrovskoe  near  Tobolsk, 
in  Siberia.  His  real  patronymic  was  "  Novykh,"  but 
he  and  his  kinsfolk  had  earned  the  surname  of 
Rasputine,  which  in  Russian  means  dissolute.  The 
name  stuck  to  them  and,  owing  to  the  Siberian 
custom,  was  inscribed  on  Gregory's  passport.  The 
record  of  his  past  was  one  of  the  worst  imaginable. 
More  than  once  he  had  been  in  prison  for  theft  of 
horses,  and  he  had  been  flogged  for  all  kinds  of 
dishonesty.  He  was  a  dnmkard,  and  his  licentious 
habits  had  made  him  the  black  sheep  of  the  village. 
His  profession  was  that  of  a  driver,  and  this  brought 
him  into  contact  with  all  kinds  of  people. 

One  day  he  had-  been  driving  a  high  church 
dignitary,  who  turned  out  to  be  the  Bishop  of 
Kazan,  Alexis.  The  prelate  entered  into  conversa- 
tion with  him,  and  was  struck  with  the  depth  of  his 
religious  faith.    This  colloquy  had  a  lasting  influence 

43 


44        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

on  the  mind  of  Rasputine.  He  returned  to  his 
village  a  changed  man,  abandoned  his  profligate 
ways  and,  after  a  time  decided  to  give  up  his  work, 
consecrate  himself  to  God  and  become  a  "  staretz." 
A  Russian  staretz  is  a  pilgrim  who  wanders  from 
one  monastery  to  another,  going  to  different  churches 
all  over  the  country  to  worship  at  the  saints'  shrines, 
or  before  the  sacred  reliquaries.  The  ambition  of 
every  staretz  is  to  visit  Mount  Athos,  and  above  all  to 
have  worshipped  in  Jerusalem  at  all  the  places 
where  Jesus  Christ  lived  and  suffered.  A  staff  and  a 
knapsack  are  his  sole  possessions  ;  he  accepts  alms 
to  help  him  on  his  way,  and  if  he  cannot  get  a 
gratuitous  night's  lodging,  he  spends  the  night 
under  some  tree.  The  inferior  classes  of  the  Russians 
have  a  great  veneration  for  such  "  startzys,"  and 
consider  they  lead  a  saint-like,  ascetic  life,  following 
God  as  the  New  Testament  commands.  On  the 
whole,  therefore,  these  men  and  women,  for  among 
the  pilgrims  there  are  women  Hkewise,  fare  pretty 
well  on  their  journey ;  for  most  people,  especially 
among  the  small  tradespeople  and  peasants,  consider 
>  it  a  reUgious  duty  to  offer  them  hospitality.  In 
convents  there  are  special  barns  allotted  to  the 
pilgrims,  where  they  are  fed  at  the  convent's  expense. 
At  the  age  of  thirty-six,  Gregory  Rasputine 
decided  to  become  such  a  staretz.  He  parted  his 
hair  that  grew  long  on  both  sides  of  his  face,  developed 
a  flowing  beard  and  endeavoured  to  give  himself  the 
outward  appearance  of  saintliness  and  godliness. 
During  these  wanderings  his  mystically  inclined 
mind  hit  upon  a  doctrine,  which  to  him  appeared 
novel,  but  was  in  reality  similar  to  the  one  spread 


ORECiORV    RASPUTINK 


THE  COMING  OF  RASPUTINE  45 

in  the  second  century  by  the  heretic  Marcion.  It 
consisted  of  the  axiom  that  to  elevate  the  spirit  it  is 
necessary  by  all  available  means  to  destroy  the  flesh. 
In  passing  through  Kazan,  Rasputine  was  warmly 
welcomed  by  his  old  friend,  the  Bishop  Alexis,  who 
was  himself  of  a  mystical  turn  of  mind.  Convinced 
of  Gregory's  sincerity,  the  Bishop  directed  his  steps 
to  Petrograd,  giving  him  a  letter  of  recommendation 
to  his  father,  the  Rector  of  the  Religious  Academy, 
the  latter  introduced  him  to  the  Bishop  Theophanus. 

In  Petrograd  Rasputine  began  by  establishing  a 
circle  of  ascetic  students.  At  that  time  there  was  a 
decided  vogue  for  asceticism,  and  this  tendency  was 
considered  beneficial.  The  three  of  this  ascetic 
movement  were,  the  Bishop  Theophanus,  Rasputine 
and  another  staretz,  Mitia  (derived  from  Dmitry)  the 
Blessed.  Rasputine  was  looked  up  to  as  the  leader, 
for  he  had  invented  a  special  expedient  to  deaden  the 
flesh,  wl\ich  brought  him  numerous  followers,  belong- 
ing to  the  weaker  sex.  Women  incessantly  flocked 
round  him,  and  amidst  them,  strange  as  it  seems, 
there  were  many  ladies  belonging  to  the  aristocracy. 
The  rumour  of  Rasputine's  fame  began  to  spread 
and  became  tinged  with  scandal.  Amazing  stories 
were  repeated  of  the  extremities  these  delicately 
nurtured  ladies  were  led  to  by  the  strength  of  their 
infatuation  for  an  uncouth  mujik  and  his  question- 
able doctrines. 

The  trium\drate,  however,  soon  dissolved,  the 
first  to  sever  partnership  was  Mitia  the  Blessed,  who 
became  an  inveterate  drunkard.  Subsequently  a 
serious  breach  occurred  between  the  Bishop 
Theophanus  and  Rasputine.      The  Bishop,  bitterly 


46        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

disappointed  in  his  former  protege's  ascetic  life, 
revealed  to  the  Tzar  all  that  he  had  discovered, 
convicting  Rasputine  of  the  most  revolting  licentious- 
ness. The  reprobate  was  sent  back  to  Siberia,  where 
he  had  left  a  wife  and  four  children.  Tliere  he  lived 
very  comfortably,  supplied  with  ever5d:hing  by  his 
lady  followers,  until  they  succeeded  in  having  him 
recalled  to  Petrograd.  This  occurred  in  the  year 
1911. 

From  the  first  moment  of  his  introduction  to  the 
Imperial  Court,  Rasputine  produced  a  wonderful 
impression  on  the  Empress  Alexandra  from  a 
mystical  point  of  view.  Her  Majesty  implicitly 
believed  in  his  saintliness,  and  her  faith  in  the  power 
of  his  prayers  was  boundless.  She  had  heard  the 
story  of  his  prophecy  at  the  shrine  of  the  newly 
canonized  St.  Seraphim,  relating  to  the  forthcoming 
Heir  to  the  Throne  of  Russia,  and  the  idea  got  hold 
ol  her  mind  that  Rasputine's  life  was  mixed  up  \\ith 
that  of  the  Tzessarevitch.  The  Lord  had  granted 
his  prayer,  because  of  his  purity  and  superior  worthi- 
ness ;  the  Lord  sent  him  to  the  Court  to  protect  the 
boy's  existence  and  ensure  his  parents*  felicity. 

Rasputine  was  a  mighty  tool  in  the  hands  of  those 
who,  ^vishing  to  gain  their  own  ends,  desired  to  obtain 
a  hold  over  the  Empress.  Among  Rasputine's 
admirers  Madame  Vyrouboff  was  the  most  ardent. 
She  became  his  devoted  friend,  and  General  Woyei- 
koff  aided  and  abetted  her  in  her  efforts  to  strengthen 
the  Empress  in  her  belief  that  all  her  hopes  lay  in 
Rasputine,  and  that  his  proximity  prevented  harm 
from  attacking  any  member  of  her  family,  especially 
in  regard  to  the  little  Tzessarevitch. 


THE  COMING  OF  RASPUTINE  47 

The  continual  presence  of  this  mujik  amidst  the 
intimates  of  the  Court  circle  shocked  many  of  the 
courtiers,  accustomed  as  they  were  to  the  old 
traditions  of  courtly  elegance  and  refinement. 
Rasputine's  evident  uncouthness,  coarse  manners, 
greasy  hair  and  above  all  his  hands,  with  black- 
edged  nails,  were  a  nightmare  to  most  of  them.  The 
Minister,  Count  Fredericks,  in  particular,  regarded 
this  unwarrantable  intrusion  with  much  disfavour. 

"  But  who  is  this  Rasputine  of  whom  there  is  so 
much  talk  nowadays  ?  "  the  Count  one  day  asked 
the  Emperor. 

The  reply  was  :  "Oh  I  quite  a  simple  mujik, 
whose  prayers  are  carried  straight  to  Heaven 
because  of  the  sublime  faith  he  is  endowed  with." 

Admiral  Niloff.  once  warned  the  Monarch  of  the 
increasing  displeasure  Rasputine's  presence  caused. 

"  Better  one  Rasputine  than  ten  hysterics  !  " 
was  the  Tzar's  response. 

This  shows  clearly  that  whatever  his  crimes, 
Rasputine  saved  the  Emperor  from  the  hj^sterical 
outbreaks  of.  the  Empress. 

The  governess  of  the  Grand  Duchesses,  the  maid- 
of-honour,  Mile.  Tutcheff,  flatly  refused  to  have 
anything  to  do  with  Rasputine,  and  objected  to  his 
visiting  the'  schoolroom,  especially  to  his  being 
admitted  into  the  Grand  Duchesses'  bed-chamber,  to 
give  them  his  nightly  blessing  after  they  had  retired 
to  bed.  The  result  of  this  protest,  which  much 
incensed  the  Empress,  was  that  when  the  Imperial 
Family  went  to  Livadia,  Mile.  Tutcheff  was  not 
included  among  the  suite  and,  seeing  the  impossi- 
bility of  enforcing  her  desires,-  which  she  deemed 


4$        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

indispensable  if  she  continued  to  undertake  the 
responsibility  of  bringing  up  the  Tzar's  daughters, 
she  sent  in  her  resignation.  No  other  governess  has 
since  taken  her  place. 

Prince  Orloff,  when  he  was  a  member  of  the  Court, 
never  attempted  to  conceal  his  feelings  of  repugnance 
for  the  Empress'  favourite,  and  even  among  the 
members  of  the  family  the  sentiments  towards 
Rasputine  differed.  It  is  well  known  that  the 
Grand  Duchess  Olga  loathed  the  man,  and  that  the 
Tzessarevitch  could  not  bear  him.  At  the  time  of 
the  latter's  accident  in  Livadia  in  the  year  1912, 
which  for  many  months  endangered  the  boy's  life, 
Rasputine  was  absent.  Finally  he  was  sent  for  and 
the  child's  recovery  was  attributed  to  the  power  of 
his  prayers. 

The  strange  part  of  this  "  Rasputine-madness  " 
was  that  each  time  the  Tzar  was  prevailed  to  send 
Rasputine  into  exile,  something  happened  to  the 
Tzessarevitch.  It  has  since  been  proved  that  the 
staretz  was  hand  in  glove  with  an  oriental  quack 
doctor  of  some  renown,  who  treated  his  patients 
with  infusions  of  herbs  brought  from  Tibet.  It 
was  insistently  rumoured,  especially  during  the  last 
two  years,  that  Gregory  frequently  brought  the 
Empress  philters  to  give  to  the  Tzar,  to  make  him 
more  amenable  to  her  wishes.  It  may  likewise  have 
happened  that  a  few  drops  of  some  cordial  might 
have  been  added  by  a  "  devoted  hand  "  to  the  food 
of  the  Tzessarevitch,  making  him  temporarily  ill, 
confirming  thus  the  Empress  in  her  superstitious 
dread  of  the  "  saint's  "  removal  from  her  vicinity. 
As  to  the  Tzar,  some  of  the  Ministers  have  noticed 


THE  COMING  OF  RASPUTINE    .       49 

that  he  was  lately  subject  to  strange  fits  of  depression, 
bordering  on  complete  apathy.  During  these 
phases  His  Majesty  was  quite  unlike  his  usual  self. 

Rasputine's  influence  continued  steadily  on  the 
increase  and  began  to  insinuate  itself  into  official 
spheres.  It  was  universally  known  that  no  better 
intercessor  in  any  business  matter  could  be  found 
than  Rasputine,  no  more  dexterous  defender  of  the 
most  hopeless  cause.  His  small  flat,  consisting  of 
three  rooms,  on  the  English  Prospect,  and  sub- 
sequently on  the  Gorokhovaia,  was  filled  every 
morning  with  men  and  women  soliciting  favours. 
More  people  were  to  be  met  in  his  rooms  than  in  the 
halls  of  the  most  influential  statesman.  It  was  a 
heterogeneous  assemblage  :  there  were  ladies  in  rich 
furs  and  diamond  earrings,  generals  in  full  uniform, 
courtiers,  merchants,  actresses,  adventuresses,  all 
kinds  of  business  men  and  officials.  A  pretty 
woman  was  always  sure  of  a  warm  welcome. 

In  one  of  the  rooms  a  table  was  laid  for  tea,  with 
the  inevitable  samovar  invitingly  hissing.  The 
intimate  ladies  of  the  flat  clustered  round  this  table, 
the  newcomers  waited  in  the  first  room,  whilst  the 
unkempt  master  of  the  flat,  in  a  bright-hued  silken 
shirt,  attached  round  the  waist  by  a  leather  strap, 
hovered  fussily  between  the  two  rooms,  occasionally 
taking  someone  for  a  private  interview  into  the 
adjacent  study.  If  an  unknown  woman  entered, 
especially  if  she  were  a  fine-looking  one,  the  obnoxious 
staretz's  eyes  would  begin  to  shine  and  he  would 
assume  his  most  benign  air,  tinged  with  vulgar 
familiarity. 

Strange  scenes  occurred  at  these  receptions.    The 


50        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

following  stories  were  related  by  an  eye-witness  :  One 
day  a  good-looking  young  woman  stood  bashfully 
on  the  threshold  of  the  room.  Rasputine  eagerly 
advanced  to  meet  her,  greeting  her  with  incessant 
pats  on  the  back,  shoulder  and  hips.  Returning 
with  her  to  the  principal  room,  where  a  titled  lady  sat 
ensconced  in  the  corner  of  a  sofa,  he  rudely  pushed 
her  aside  with  the  words  :  "  Get  out  of  the  way  fat 
cow."  The  lady  obviously  used  to  his  boorishness, 
meekly  submitted,  rising  without  a  word  or  sign 
of  protest. 

Another  time  a  young  man  of  good  family  appeared 
accompanied  by  his  ver>''  pretty  wife.  Without  any 
ado,  Rasputine  kissed  her,  under  the  eyes  of  her 
husband,  who  looked  on  beaming  with  gratification. 
It  sometimes  happened  that  his  effrontery  met  with 
unexpected  resistance.  "  The  spirit  of  the  Lord 
has  not  entered  Thee,"  was  his  only  remark,  anxiously 
adding  however  :  "  Look  here,  don't  attempt  to 
blab,  for  there,''  with  a  characteristic  jerk  of  the 
thumb  to  what  he  believed  indicated  Tzarskoe 
Selo,  "  they  think  I  am  a  saint." 

The  staretz  treated  his  women  friends  with  scant 
cerem.ony,  calling  them  by  their  christian  names  and 
hustling  them  about  in  the  most  impertinent  manner, 
making  use  of  their  services  in  preference  to  those  of 
servants.  Princess  S —  generally  carried  in  the  huge 
samovar,  which  she  could  hardly  lift,  another  lady 
brought  in  a  tray  with  wine  or  refreshments. 
Rasputine  called  such  treatment  of  fine  ladies, 
"  Purifying  their  spirit  through  humbling  their 
pride." 

There  was  nothing  prepossessing  in  the  man's 


THE  COMING  OF  RASPUTINE  51 

appearance.  His  hair  was  dark,  long  and  untidy, 
his  nose  aquiline,  but  his  eyes  were  the  principal 
feature.  Thej^  were  light  grey,  set  in  a  dark  face, 
.which  made  them  look  lighter.  They  had  something 
hard,  metallic,  even  compelling  in  their  glance. 
The  weird  depth  of  his  gaze  and  the  deep  furrowings 
on  his  rugged,  long-shaped  face,  gave  it  in  moments  of 
repose  a  stern  expression,  although  at  times  of 
relaxation  he  could  be  the  merriest  of  the  merry, 
but  his  mouth,  at  all  times,  retained  a  cynical 
expression. 

Rasputine  never  refused  a  supplicant  anything, 
for  he  liked  to  prove  his  boast  that  to  him  even 
the  impossible  was  possible.  Having  heard  the 
request,  he  would  give  the  applicant  a  square  slip  of 
paper  on  which  in  his  illiterate  hand  he  traced 
the  following  words :  "  Please  listen  to  N.N. 
and  do  what  he  asks,  I  beg  you."  Oh  I  these 
characteristic  slips  of  paper,  covered  with  his  large 
rudely  formed  letters  and  badly  spelt  words  I 
Ministers  and  Statesmen  were  overflowed  with 
them  audi  in  most  cases,  they  proved  the  "  open 
sesame  "  to  all  kinds  of  pri\ileges,  for  the  majority  of 
recipients  thought  it  their  duty  to  comply  with  his 
requests. 

There  were  some  men  of  independent  spirit,  as  for 
instance  the  former  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs, 
M.  Sazonoff,  who  took  no  notice  of  his  intercessions, 
contemptuously  throwing  his  papers  into  the  waste- 
paper  basket.  A  lady  once  came  to  Count  Ignatieff, 
at  the  time  when  he  occupied  the  post  of  Minister  of 
Public  Instruction,  provided  with  a  note  from 
Rasputine.    The  Count  flung  the  paper  away  in 


52        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

disgust,  and  reproached  the  lady  for  having  recourse 
to  such  a  method  of  obtaining  what  she  desired. 

"  If  your  cause  is  a  righteous  one,"  he  said,  "  I 
shall  with  much  pleasure  accede  to  your  wishes ;  if 
not  no  man  on  earth  could  compel  me  to  do  what  I 
should  not  consider  just." 

.  Unfortunately  most  of  the  Ministers  and  Govern- 
ment officials  thought  differently.  A  lady  once 
came  to  a  general,  who  shall  be  nameless,  with  an 
urgent  petition  to  recall  her  son  for  a  day  or  two 
from  the  front  to  receive  the  blessing  of  his  dying 
father.  She  was  told  that  the  reception  was  over 
earlier  than  usual  because  the  general  was  busy. 
The  lady  insisted,  pleading  the  urgency  of  her  case. 
All  was  in  vain.  She  was  curtly  informed  that  the 
general  was  engrossed  with  such  serious  matters 
that  he  could  not  be  disturbed.  The  lady  then  took 
out  of  her  hand-bag  the  precious  paper  square  with 
which  she  had-  judiciously  provided  herself. 
Instantly  the  scene  changed,  the  officer  on  duty 
hastened  to  carry  the  magic  paper  slip  to  his  chief, 
the  lady  was  received  in  the  most  courteous  manner, 
all  her  wishes  were  attended  to  and  the  general, 
with  much  obsequiousness,  personally  saw  the  lady 
out  of  the  vestibule. 

There  was  hardly  an  institution  or  organization 
where  Rasputine  had  not  placed  some  of  his  boon- 
companions.  Several  years  ago  he  insisted  on  an 
old  friend  of  his,  a  monk  named  Bamaby,  being 
made  a  Bishop  and  given  the  diocese  of  Tobolsk. 
Barnaby,  a  former  kitchen-gardener,  was  as  uncouth 
and  illiterate*  as  Rasputine  himself.  There  naturally 
arose  many  protests  amongst  the  members  of  the 


A   GROUP   TAKEN    IN   V.J 
RASPUTINE,    MAUAMK    VYROUBOKF,    HER    SISTER    MADAME    PISTOHl.CORSE,    MADAME   GOLOVII 
TWO   GENTLEMEN    OF   THE   CHAMBER,    M.    PISTOHl.CORSE   AND    M. 


INE  S    FLAT   AFTER    TEA 

;D   her    DAUGHTERS,    PRINCESS   SCHAHOVSKOY,    MADAME   DEHN,    RASPUTINE's    DAUC.HTKRS, 

IIXE,    ANOTHER   STARETZ   FROM    MONTENEGRO   AND   SOME   OTHERS 


THE  COMING  OF  RASPUTINE  53 

Holy  Synod  at  giving  such  a  high  clerical  post  to  a 
man  utterly  unfit  to  discharge  the  duties  incumbent 
upon  him.  Nevertheless  Rasputine  prevailed,: 
Barnaby  was  made  a  Bishop.  One  of  the  members 
of  the  Holy  Synod*  remarked,  on  that  occasion  : 
*'  We  are  ready  to  appoint  a  black  boar-pig  as 
Bishop,  rather  than  offend  the  Tzaritza." 
•  Rasputine  has  been  accused  of  taking  large  fees 
for  these  intercessions  of  his,  but  it  hardly  seems 
likely  ;  for  after  his  death,  the  whole  fortune  he 
left  his  family  amounted  to  3,000  roubles  (£300). 
It  is  far  more  likely  that  he  revelled  in  the  influence 
he  wielded,  and  became  intoxicated  with  his  power. 
•He  was  however  surrounded  by  harpies,  one  of  them  a 
certain  prince  had  a  branch  establishment,  where 
all  kinds  of  affairs,  depending  on  Rasputirie's  inter- 
cession, were  arranged  on  a  business  basis,  from  the 
nomination  of  a  Minister  to  the  furthering  of  some 
commercial  transaction.  There  were  likewise  his 
three  secretaries,  who  probably  made  profits  out  of 
the  business.  Personally  the  staretz  preferred  rich 
presents  to  money  gifts. 

Notwithstanding  his  position  at  Court,  the  adula- 
tion of  His  many  admirers  and  the  reverence  he 
inspired  with  the  Emperor  and  Empress,  Rasputine 
continued  to  lead  a  dissipated  life  and  spent  his 
nights,  far  into  the  small  hours,  carousing  in  some 
favourite  haunt,  where  he  could  listen  to  the  orchestra 
and  drink  his  fill.  Vodka  had  given  way  to  champagne 
and  cognac.  But  his  revelries  mostly  degenerated 
into  riotous  brawls.  The  annals  of  the  former 
police  could  have  divulged  many  a  tale  of  these 

•.  The  Bishop  Anthony  of  KharkhofiE. 


54        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

junketings,  for  in  those  days  Rasputine  was  sur- 
rounded by  police  agents,  his  evety  step  was  dodged 
and  his  safety  one  of  the  most  onerous  responsi- 
bilities of  the  police. 

In  Petrograd  the  venerated  staretz  observed  a 
certain  caution,  for  fear  of  some  extravagance  of  his 
reaching  the  ears  of  the  Empress,  "  who  thought  him 
a  saint."  He  was  less  on  his  guard  in  Moscow, 
however,  where  some  of  his  adventurous  proceedings 
outdid  the  limits  of  scandal.  When  he  was  drunk, 
which  was  very  often,  he  bragged  in  the  most  brazen 
manner,  no  matter  of  whom  his  audience  was 
composed,  of  the  Tzar's  and  Tzaritza's  devotion  to 
him  and  of  his  unbounded  power. 

"  One  word  of  mine,"  he  would  hiccough,  "  can 
make  or  unmake  a  Minister,  my  sHghtest  desire  is 
implicitly  obej^ed.  I  hold  the  whole  Government 
in  the  hollow  of  my  hand,"  and  he  would  stretch 
out  a  heavy  fist. 

To  prove  his  familiarity,  he  would  call  the 
Sovereigns  by  their  names  :  "  Nichlas  "  and  "Sascha" 
(the  Russian  diminutive  for  Alexandra).  He  would 
show  the  embroidery  on  his  shirt,  boasting  that  a 
high-born  lady  had  worked  it  for  him. 

He  took  a  keen  deUght  in  titles,  and  frankly 
avowed  his  predilection  for  princesses  and  countesses. 
Dancing  was  one  of  this  strange  man's  favourite 
amusem.ents,  he  could  dance  for  hours.  Eye-witnesses 
assure  me  that  at  such  times  he  would  undergo  a 
regular  transformation.  His  uncouthness  vanished 
as  if  by  magic,  his  movements  became  flowing  and 
full  of  a  weird  grace,  and  his  dancing  produced  an 
enthralling  impression.    The  following  story  gives  a 


THE  COMING  OF  RASPUTINE*  55 

« 

characteristic  illustration  of  Gregory  Rasputine's 
rakish  behaviour  and  of  the  Sovereigns'  blind  in- 
fatuation. It  really  looked  as  if  a  spell  had  been 
cast  on  them. 

It  was  Christmas  tirne,  and  the  Imperial  Family 
were  busily  preparing  to  light  the  luxuriously  decor- 
ated tree.  A  discussion  arose  about  a  suitable  present 
for  the  staretz :  an  embroidered  shirt,  a  new  coat, 
or  something  for  his  household.  Rasputine  was 
expected,  and  the  Empress  would  not  have  the  tree 
lit  until  he  appeared.  The  Commandant  of  the 
Palace  had  received  no  telephone  message  tha't  the 
staretz  had  taken  the  train  for  Tzarskoe  Selo.  After 
a  long  wait  the  telephone  was  set  ringing  in  all 
directions  :  the  Police  Prefect,  the  Minister  of  the 
Interior,  the  Director  of  the  "  Okhrana  "  (safety- 
guard)  were  called  up  and  apprised  of  Gregory's 
disappearance.  At  last  a  police  agent  discovered 
Rasputine  in  a  private  room  of  a  well-known 
restaurant  in  a  state  of  utter  intoxication  and  in  the 
company  of  chorus-girls.  The  police  agents  pounced 
upon  him,  took  him  forcibly  to  the  station,  did 
everything  they  could  to  make  him  sober,  for  he 
must  be  brought  to  the  Palace  or  the  Christmas 
festival  would  be  spoiled.  Arrived  in  Tzarskoe 
Selo,  Rasputine  made  a  tremendous  effort  and 
entered  the  Imperial  presence,  but  the  evening  was 
nevertheless  a  failure,  for  never  had  the  indecorum 
of  the  **  saint  "  been  more  apparent  I 

His  misconduct  was  always  explained  as  an 
attempt  of  the  Devil  to  cast  a  spell  over  him. 

The  Emperor  was  warned  several  times  by  different 
people  of  the  evil  reputation  Rasputine  had  acquired. 


56         THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

and  of  the  distressing  impression  his  obvious  influence 
at  Court  produced  on  people's  minds.  Rasputine 
would  be  temporarily  sent  home  to  his  wife,  but  each 
time  the  intriguing  coterie  of  courtiers,  to  whom  his 
presence  was  indispensable,  succeeded  in  having 
him  recalled.  During  one  of  these  absences,  an 
attempt  was  made  on  his  life  by  a  peasant  woman, 
but  the  wound  she  inflicted  was  not  a  mortal  one. 

When  the  news  reached  Petrograd,  that  he  was 
dangerously  wounded,  the  perturbation  amongst 
his  admirers  and  followers  was  boundless.  A 
surgeon  and  skilled  hospital-nurse  were  sent  out  to 
his  native  village,  but  this  was  not  sufficient.  Madame 
Vyrouboff  set  out  on  the  long  journey  to  Siberia  and 
remained  some  time  in  Pokrovskoe,  until  Rasputine 
was  pronounced  out  of  danger.  Madame  Vyrouboff's 
journey  was  kept  a  secret,  but  everyone  knew  that 
she  had  gone  to  nurse  her  friend,  and  it  gave  rise  to 
no  end  of  gossip.  The  most  absurd  stories  were 
spread,  and  what  was  much  worse,  they  were 
thoroughly  believed  ! 

About  a  couple  of  years  ago,  after  some  out- 
rageous scandal  about  Rasputine  in  Moscow,  General 
Djunkovsk^^  who  at  that  time  occupied  the  post  of 
Chief  of  the  Gendarmes,  requested  an  audience 
with  His  Majesty,  and,  without  mincing  matters, 
disclosed  to  the  Tzar  all  that  was  known  of  the  real 
character  of  Rasputine,  not  omitting  the  cynicism  of 
his  doctrine,  the  indecorum  of  his  conduct  and  his 
boasts  of  the  subjection  in  which  he  held  the  Tzar 
and  the  Tzaritza. 

"  Are  you  positively  sure  of  this  ?  "  enquired  the 
Sovereign. 


THE  COMING  OF  RASPUTINE  .  57 

**  Absolutely,  Sire,"  replied  the  General.' 

"  T  believe  j^ou,  but  I  have  to  convince  the 
Empress  ;  I  must  therefore  ask  you  to  institute  an 
official  enquir\^  on  the  subject.  When  that  has  been 
done,  bring  me  the  written  statement  dul}'  signed." 

General  Djunkovskj'-  left  the  Tzar's  presence,  with 
a  gleam  ol  hope  in  his  eyes.  He  felt  gratified  at  the 
way  the  Sovereign  had  listened  to  his  accusations 
ol  the  Empress'  acknowledged  favourite,  and,  certain 
of  the  facts,  he  was  sure  of  being  able  to  prove 
them.  That  night  he  started  for  Moscow.  His 
first  move  was  to  give  General  Andrianoff,  the 
Police  Prefect  of  Moscow,  the  necessarj^  instructions 
to  have  a  minute  dossier  prepared  of  Rasputine's 
conduct  during  his  last  stay  in  Moscow.  The 
proofs  were  irrefutable,  and  the  story  about  as  ugly 
as  it  could  be. 

The  report  was  placed  before  the  Tzar.  He 
gasped,  as  he  made  himself  acquainted  with  the 
record  of  the  "  Saint's  "  scandalous  beha^dour. 

The  Tzar  went  to  the  Empress  and  showed  her  the 
document.  A  violent  attack  of  hysterics  was  the 
result.  The  Empress  had  to  be  attended  to,  Madame 
Vyrouboff  was  called  to  sooth  the  frenzied  distress  of 
her  Royal  mistress.  When  she  was  told  the  cause 
of  the  attack,  Madame  Vyrouboff  was  'indignant 
at  General  Djunkovsky's  officiousness.  She  per- 
suaded the  willing  Empress  that  Rasputine  continued 
to  be  the  immaculate  saint  she  fondly  believed  him, 
and  that  the  accusations  were  a  tissue  of  lies  and  bare- 
faced calunmies.  They  were  invented  by  the  enemies 
of  the  Dynasty  that  the  saint,  who  was  sent  by  God 
to   protect   them,    might   be   removed   from  their 


58        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

presence.  General  Woyeikoff  came  to  the  rescue,  he 
persuaded  the  Tzar  that  the  report  presented  by 
General  Djunkovsky  was  deliberately  exaggerated, 
he  offered  to  go  to  Moscow  and  investigate  the  matter 
himself  and  bring  the  Tzar  a  true  statement.  The 
Tzar  agreed,  subsequently  he  sent  for  General 
Djunkovsky. 

**  Did  you  make  the  enquiry  yourself  ?  "  he 
asked. 

The  General  owned  that  he  had  entrusted  the 
matter  to  General  Andrianoff ,  as  better  able  to  give 
an  accurate  account. 

"  I  asked  you  to  make  a  personal  enquiry,"  coldly 
remarked  the  Monarch. 

As  a  matter  of  fact  General  Woyeikoff  likewise 
turned  to  General  Andrianoff,  but  the  astute  Police 
Prefect  fully  understood  the  aim  of  General  Woyei- 
koff's  mission.  He  had  seen  that  General  Pjunkovsky 
was  in  earnest,  really  wanted  to  tear  off  the  mask  of 
saintliness  from  the  iniquitous  Rasputine,  and  he 
had  given  him  undoubted  proofs  .  of  the  latter's 
scandalous  behaviour  !  General  Woyeikoff,  on  the 
contrary,  wanted  to  mend  matters  and  condone 
facts.  This  was  clear  to  the  Police  Prefect,  and  he 
resolved  to  be  diplomatical.  The  second  dossier  was 
prepared  in  quite  a  different  strain  ;  it  was  benign 
and  conciliatory.  Armed  with  this  document,  refuting 
the  former  accusations.  General  Woyeikoff  returned 
to  Tzarskoe  Selo.  The  Emperor  felt  relieved  that  he 
need  not  grieve  his  Consort  and  that,  with  a  clear 
conscience,  he  could  leave  Rasputine  unmolested. 
The  Empress  was  overjoyed  at  the  exculpation  of  her 
favourite,  whilst  Madame  V5Touboff  and  the  staretz. 


^/^J^J' 


THE  COMING  OF  RASPUTINE  59 

who  was,  ol  course,  apprised  of  the  danger  he  had 
escaped  by  a  hair's  breadth,  were  in  a  state  of 
exultation. 

Soon  after  this  incident,  which  excited  great 
interest  and  heart-burning  in  Court  circles,  and  in 
those  coteries  closely  connected  with  high  spheres, 
General  Djunkovsk}'-  received  his  dismissal  from  the 
post  he  occupied  and  joined  the  active  army.  With 
his  departure  another  honest,  upright  friend  of  the 
Tzar,  a  true  prop  of  the  Monarchy,  was  removed. 
But  General  Woyeikoff  remained,  and  both  the 
Emperor  and  Empress  felt  more  than  ever  convinced 
ol  his  sincerity  and  devotion  to  them. 

The  Empress  had  received  many  hints  of  her 
growing  unpopularity  owing  to  Rasputine's  presence 
and  influence  at  Court,  but  she  paid  no  attention  to 
such  warnings.  She  had  always  made  a  difference 
between  Petrograd  and  the  rest  of  Russia.  From 
the  first  she  had  disliked  "St.  Petersburg  "  and  its 
society,  and  she  had  never  sought  to  be  in  touch  with 
them. 

"  Let  Petrograd  and  the  aristocracy  be  displeased  " 
was  her  argument.  ".Petrograd  is  by  no  means 
Russia.  In  the  provinces,  the  Emperor  and  his 
family  are  very  popular.  The  nation  is  mostly 
composed  of  peasants,  and  they  are  flattered  that 
one  of  their  class  lives  in  our  proximity.  I  know  the 
Russians,  and  I  have  received  many  touching 
letters  expressing  this  sentiment." 

In  this  the  Empress  made  a  grave  mistake,  and 
proved  that  she  had  never  understood  the  Russian 
character,  either  that  of  the  peasant  or  of  those 
belonging   to   the   higher   classes.     With   all   their 


6o        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

former  reverence  for  the  Tzar  and  the  Tzaritza,  with 
all  their  past  devotion,  the  feelings  of  the  peasants 
were  full  of  subtlety.  They  had  a  strong  sense  of  the 
great  difference  between  them  and  the  Tzar  and  his 
family.  To  hear  of  one  of  their  own  class  living 
on  intimate  terms  with  the  Sovereigns  and  treating 
them  with  familiarity,  outraged  their  idea  of  the 
fitness  of  things.  The  knowledge  that  the  Emperor 
and  Empress  permitted  themselves  to  be  imposed 
upon  by  an  upstart  from  their  own  ranks,  a  simple 
mujik  of  questionable  antecedents,  lowered  the 
standard  of  Sovereignty  in  their  eyes,  and  injured 
their  feelings  of  loyalty  and  respect. 

The  Russian  peasants'  conception  of  the  Tzar  is 
that  of  a  powerful  and  imposing  ruler.  They  love 
his  kindness  and  sirnplicity,  but  they  must  feel  it  is 
the  outcome  of  condescension.  In  the  Tzaritza 
they  do  not  see  the  woman,  they  only  wish  to 
reverence  the  Sovereign.  They  crave  to  admire  the 
Tzaritza,  to  catch  her  eye  benignly  fixed  on  them,  to 
sun  themselves  in  the  radiance  of  her  smiles.  For 
this  reason  the  Empress  Alexandra  was  never 
appreciated.  Even  as  a  sister  of  mercy  she  failed 
to  comprehend  the  soldier's  sense  of  what  was  to  be 
expected  from  an  Empress  of  Russia.  To  see  her 
kneeling  in  front  of. him,  bathing  his  feet,  or  dressing 
his  wounds  shocked  him.  Many  officers  objected 
to  being  sent  to  the  Court  hospital  of  Tzarskoe  Selo, 
because  it  embarrassed  them  to  accept  such  services 
from  the  Empress.  If  Her  Majesty  had  confined 
herself  to  visiting  the  wounded  as  their  Empress,  of 
talking  to  them  kindly,  of  showing  a  personal 
interest  in  them  and  their  affairs,if  she  had  questioned 


THE  COMING  OF  RASPUTINE  6i 

them  about  the  war  and  listened  patiently  to  their 
description  of  battle-incidents,  she  would  have  been 
adored.  But  the  Empress  never  could  understand 
that,  in  the  eyes  of  h^r  subjects,  she  must  shine  and 
be  ornamental,  but  not  useful  in  the  trivial  accepta- 
tion of  the  word. 

The  Empress  was  quite  wrong  in  the  belief  that 
the  nation  was  pleased  at  the  exclusive  position 
Rasputine  enjoyed  at  Court.  Her  Majesty  may  have 
received  letters  confirming  this  belief,  but  were  these 
letters  genuine  ?  Were  they  not  written  by  someone 
who  had  an  interest  in  strengthening  the  Sovereign's 
conviction  that  she  was  pleasing  the  people. 

Each  day  that  passed  seemed  only  to  strengthen 
the  position  of  the  staretz  Rasputine.  He  brought 
over  two  ot  his  daughters  from  Siberia,  and  later 
sent  for  his  son,  a  youth  'of  twenty,  who  was 
attached  to  Madame  Vyrouboff' s  hospital-train.  The 
daughters  were  educated  at  a  gymnasium.  It  was 
suggested  that  they  should  be  educated  at  the 
Smolny  Institute,  one  of  the  most  select  boarding- 
colleges  for  girls,  but  the  directress  ot  this  institute, 
the  late  Princess  Lieven,  protested  against  this 
unwarrantable  intrusion,  and  as  the  Dowager 
Empress  Marie  was  at  the  head  of  such  educational 
establishments,  the  Empress  Alexandra  was  unable 
to  enforce  ber  will. 

Simultaneously  with  Rasputine' s  increased  in- 
fluence, the  Empress's  friend,  Madame  Vyrouboff, 
grew  in  favour.  It  was  only  since  the  outbreak  of 
war  that  the  fatal  consequences  ot  their  power 
showed  up  in  their  true  light  foreboding  danger  to 
the   country,   putting   every   right-minded   person 


62        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

against  the  reigning  Monarch  and  his  Government. 
The  most  ardent  advocate  of  Monarchism  had  to  own 
that  things  were  getting  desperate,  and  that  such  a 
state  of  affairs  could  not  last.  Every  true  friend  of 
the  Tzar,  every  honest  servitor  of  the  Dynasty,  had 
been  removed  by  the  Empress  Alexandra ;  the 
Tzar  was  completely  isolated,  the  easy  prey  of  the 
Court  camarilla.  About  nine  months  prior  to  the 
wreck  of  the  Empire,  the  Dowager  Empress  Marie 
went  to  Kiev  and  did  not  return  to  the  capital. 
She  preferred  not  to  witness  the  doings  at  Court, 
which  she  viewed  with  sorrow  and  dismay,  but  alas  I 
could  do  nothing  to  stop. 

The  clouds  were  gathering.  For  some  time  the 
coming  of  a  change  was  felt,  anxiously  expected  by 
some,  regretfully  by  others,  but  considered  ine\dtable 
by  all. 

Russian  historians  of  the  future  will  blame 
Nicholas  II,  the  last  of  the  Romanoffs,  for  being 
culpably  weak  and  letting  the  reins  of  power,  which 
for  over  three  hundred  years  had  been  in  the  hands  of 
the  Romanoff  Dynasty,  gradually  slip  through  his 
hands,  to  be  caught  up  by  the  iniquitous  and 
despicable  villain  Rasputine.  Is  it  to  be  wondered 
at  that  the  indignant  nation  brought  about  the 
Revolution  and  caused  the  downfall  of  the  Tzardom  ? 


CHAPTER  IV 


THE   GREAT  BETRAYAL 


DURING  the  first  days  of  the  war  with 
Germany,  there  was  an  auspicious  moment 
when  Nicholas  II  could  have  attached  to 
himself  the  love  and  respect  of  the  nation. 
Even  the  Empress,  if  she  had  acted  in  the 
spirit  of  a  Russian  Tzar's  true  Consort,  could 
have  regained  the  affections  of  her  husband's 
subjects.  Never  had  the  Emperor  been  so  popular 
as  at  that  exciting  time.  The  day  of  the  publication 
of  his  Manifesto  was  the  most  triumphant  of  his 
reign.  When  His  Majest}^  after  the  religious 
ceremony  in  the  halls  of  the  Winter  Palace,  stepped 
out  on  the  balcony  to  greet  the  people  assembled 
in  the  Square  in  front  of  the  Palace,  the  people 
dropped  on  their  knees,  baring  their  heads  before 
the  Monarch,  singing  the- National  Hymn,  "  Boje 
Tzaria  khrani  "  (God  save  the  Tzar)  and  acclaiming 
him  with  a  thunder  of  cheering.  Patriotism  filled 
all  hearts,  real  patriotism,  that  made  the  people 
forget  all  past  grievances  and  rally  round  tlie  Throne, 
eager  to  defend  beloved  and  Holy  Russia  from  the 
invasion  of  the  hated  Germans.  In  the  moment 
ot  National  danger  all  parties  joined.  Political 
contests  were  forgotten  in  the  unanimous  wish  to 


03 


64.       THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

give  the  Monarch  adequate  support  to  crush  the 
enemy. 

But  a  few  days  sufficed  to  bring  home  to  all  the 
conviction  that  these  feelings  of  patriotism  were  tar 
from  being  shared  by  everyone  in  the  land.  Strange 
reports  were  circulated  about  the  Empress  Alexandra 
and  some  of  the  Grand  Duchesses,  who  were  German 
Princesses  by  birth.  It  transpired  that  Her  Majesty 
was  not  at  all  enthusiastic  about  the  war.  The  idea 
of  an  armed  strife  between  her  former  Fatherland  and 
her  present  country  filled  her  with  pain  and  distress. 
Her  attitude  damped  the  Tzar's  animation  in  favour 
of  fighting  to  the  end  until  a  definite  victory  made 
peace  overtures  acceptable  to  all  the  Allies. 

The  following  anecdote,  widely  spread  at  the  time, 
though  a  fictitious  one,  is  illustrative  of  this  general 
impression. 

"  I  really  don't  know,"  said  the  little  Tzessarevitch 
to  a  friend,  "  on  whose  side  I  am  to  be  ?  When  the 
Russians  are  beaten,  Papa  looks  glum  and  when  the 
Germans  are  beaten.  Mamma  cries." 

After  two  months  of  war  it  was  whispered  that  the 
Empress  was  endeavouring  with  all  her  might  to 
bring  about  a  reconciliation  between  the  Kaiser  and 
the  Tzar,  and  thus  ensure  a  separate  peace. 

Meanwhile  the  fond  delusion  of  the  Russian  people, 
that  the  Tzaritza  had  more  of  the  Englishwoman  in 
her  than  of  the  German,  was  being  rapidly  dispelled. 
The  fact  was  suddenly  revealed  that  at  heart  she 
belonged  to  Germany,  and  that  she  bore  a  serious 
grudge  against  England. 

Rasputine  was  absent  from  Petrograd  when 
Germany  declared  war  on  Russia,  but  his  return  to 


THE  GREAT  BETRAYAL  65 

the  capital  was  not  delayed.  He  made  no  secret  of 
his  pacificatory  inclinations,  and  openly  assured 
everyone  that  a  prolonged  war  would  be  Russia's 
undoing.  He  would,  he  assured  everyone,  never 
have  let  things  corae  to  such  a  pass  had  he  been  at 
Court.  War  would  have  been  avoided.  From  the 
first,  Rasputine  manifested  aversion  to  the  bloodshed 
that  was  going  on,  and  insisted  on  the  necessity  of 
peace.  He  even  told  the  Empress  that  her  son's 
safety  depended  on  its  being  speedily  concluded. 
This  peculiar  attitude  of  his  towards  the  war  at  a 
time  when  the  whole  country  had  risen  as  one  man, 
palpitating  with  indignation  at  the  insults  the 
German  Kaiser  had  hurled  against  the  Russian  Tzar, 
eager  to  go  to  battle  in  defence  of  the  country  and  the 
Throne,  made  people  suspicious  of  his  motives,  and 
the  popular  belief  was  that  Rasputine  must  be  a 
German  agent,  or  the  tool  of  some  skilful  German 
spy. 

The  Empress's  friend,  Madame  Vyrouboff,  followed 
the  priest's  cue,  and  thus  the  intimate  court  camarilla, 
which  surrounded  the  Sovereigns  in  a  tight  and 
exclusive  circle,  became  impregnated  with  German- 
ophile  sentiments,  which  they  well  knew  afforded 
gratification  to  the  Empress.  All  those  who 
surrounded  the  Tzar,  but  whose  opinions  differed 
in  this  respect,  were  gradually  but  relentlessly 
removed  from  the  Monarch's  vicinity. 

About  this  time.  Count  Witte  returned  home  from 
Biarritz.  He  had  always  been  considered  a  friend 
of  the  Kaiser,  and  each  time  he  passed  through 
Berlin,  he  was  the  object  of  marked  attention  from 
William  II.    Count  Witte  was  never  squeamish  in 


66        THE  FAIX  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

his  methods,  he  did  not  disdain  having  Rasputine 
for  an  ally,  and  there  had  been  several  interviews 
between  the  two  men,  which  only  added  fuel  to  the 
flame.  The  Count's  unexpected  death  a  few  mouths 
subsequent^,  shortty  after  the  sensational  revela- 
tions brought  to  light  Colonel  Miassoyedoff' s  arrest, 
was  surrounded  with  legends,  and  the  fact  that  no 
wreath  had  been  sent  from  the  Emperor  to  be 
deposited  on  the  Count's  cofhn,  seemed  to  indicate 
that  all  was  not  as  it  should  be. 

Cases  of  treason  towards  Russia  on  the  part  of  the 
Baltic  nobility  were  pointed  out  by  the  newspapers, 
names  were  given  of  those  barons  who  had  gone  over 
to  the  German  side  and  were  fighting  in  their  ranks. 
This  brought  on  an  increase  of  bitterness  against 
the  Germans  who  for  years  had  lived  in  Russia, 
enjoying  many  pri\dleges,  but  at  heart  had  remained 
obdurate  Germans,  ready  to  attempt  anything 
which  might  endanger  the  safety  of  their  adopted 
country. 

The  entourage  of  the  Tzar  became  the  subject  of 
severe  criticism  :  Count  Fredericks,  Count  Benck- 
endorff.  Baron  Meyendorff,  General  von  Grunwald, 
Baron  Hoyningen  Huehme,  Baron  Korff,  Count 
Nieroth,  were  all  Germans.  The  Minister  of  the 
Imperial  Court,  Count  Fredericks,  in  particular, 
attracted  general  mistrust.  He  was  knowTi  to  be  the 
leader  of  the  Germ*an  party  at  the  Court,  and  was 
suspected  right  up  to  the  time  of  the  Revolution  of 
furthering  German  interests.  This  distrust  and 
dislike  on  the  part  of  the  people  went  to  the  extent 
of  accusing  the  old  Count  of  being  a  spy,  of  using  his 
position  at  the  Court  and  the  knowledge  of  militar}- 


I 


THE  GREAT  BETRAYAL  67 

secrets  he  gained  to  give  useful  information  to  the 
Gernnans.  The  general  indignation  was  such  as  to 
cause  the  Tzar  to  be  coldly  received  in  Moscow, 
because  of  Count  Fredericks'  presence,  and  the 
German  names  of  his  other  courtiers. 

It  was  the  same  thing  in  the  arm3\  When  Count 
Fredericks  shadowed  the  Sovereign,  the  soldiers 
gave  the  Em.peror  a  cool  welcome.  Murmurs  were 
heard  on  all  sides,  reaching  the  ears  of  the  supreme 
Commander-in-Chief,  the  Grand  Duke  Nicholas. 
The  Grand  Duke  mentioned  the  fact  to  the  Emperor, 
advising  him  when  he  visited  the  Front,  not  to  be 
accompanied  by  Count  Fredericks.  It  was  noticed 
that  once  or  twice  after  this  the  Tzar  travelled  with 
only  Russian  courtiers  bearing  Russian  names  in  his 
suite.  It  was  likewise  noised  abroad  that  Count 
Fredericks  would  soon  be  relieved  of  his  duties  at 
Court.  But  v4ien  the  Empress  discovered  the 
motives  of  her  husband's  resolve,  she  tartly 
admonished  him  on  such  disloyalty  to  an  old  and 
valued  friend,  a  devoted  servitor  to  his  father  and 
himself.  She  proved  to  her  husband  the  folly  of 
giving  wa3^  to  groundless  prejudice,  and  assured  him 
that  his  enforced  resignation  would  break  the  old 
man's  heart.     The  Em.peror  desisted. 

News  was  filtering  through  from  the  front  that  the 
munitions  of  the  army  were  far  from  adequate, 
as  the  Wdx  Minister,  General  Soukhomlinoff,  had 
led  the  country  to  believe.  There  was  a  scarcity  of 
rifles*  that  looked  ominous,  and  wonder  was  felt 

♦  In  the  indictment  under  the  Revolutionary  Government  it  was  stated 
that  towards  the  middle  of  October,  1914,  870,000  men  at  the  front  were 
without  rifles. 


68        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

at  the  War  Minister  declining  the  offer  of  Japan  to 
supply  the  Russian  army  with  munition^  and  rifles. 
The  real  blow  however  fell  when  the  treachery  of 
Colonel  Miassoyedoff  was  established.  The  story 
of  how  his  treason  was  discovered  is  most  interesting 
and  proves  that  it  was  by  a  mere  fluke  that  Russia 
was  relieved  of  a  dangerous  spy,  owing  to  whose 
despicable  machinations  with  the  enemy  so  many 
of  our  efforts  had  failed  to  bring  success. 

It  was  about  the  end  of  the  year  1914  that  a 
Russian  officer  K —  was  taken  prisoner  in  Prussia. 
He  succeeded  in  deceiving  the  German  military 
authorities  by  professing  a  great  hatred  of  Russia, 
and  stated  his  eagerness  to  serve  the  Germans.  He 
spoke  the  language  fluently,  and  proved  so  convincing 
that,  for  once,  German  astuteness  was  at  fault.  The 
man  was  implicitly  believed,  and  his  offer  to  do  spy- 
work  for  them  accepted  with  alacrity.  K —  was 
taken  to  Berlin,  where  he  was  put  in  communication 
with  a  certain  M.  Brauermeister,  who  for  many 
years  had  lived  in  Russia  at  the  head  of  some  kind 
of  business.  This  occupation  was  only  a  blind  to 
conceal  his  real  profession  of  one  of  the  main-springs 
of  the  German  spying  organisation  in  Russia.  M. 
Brauermeister,  who  disappeared  from  this  country 
a  couple  of  months  before  war  commenced,  and  an 
Austrian  spy,  Altschiller,  are  alleged  to  have  been 
intimate  friends  of  General  Soukhomlinoff's  wife, 
and  constantly  received  at  the  War  Minister's 
house. 

The  reason  that  Brauermeister  had  not  been 
discovered,  and  had  never  even  excited  the  least 
suspicion,  is  to  be  found  in  the  extreme  caution  he 


THE  GREAT  BETRAYAL  69 

observed.  He  never  wrote,  and  when  valuable 
documents  had  to  be  delivered  in  Berlin,  his  wife 
went  abroad  and  smuggled  them  through  in  her  hand- 
bag. This  M.  Brauermeister  gave  K —  all  the 
necessary  instructions  and  told  him  to  find  out 
Colonel  Miassoyedoff,  who  was  one  of  their  most 
valued  agents,  and  to  consult  with  him  as  to  the  best 
way  of  operating.  Provided  with  necessary  pass- 
ports, and  a  thorough  knowledge  of , the  "  dessous  des 
cartes,"  K —  departed.  Arrived  at  the  first  Russian 
garrison,  town,  he,  gave  information  disclosing  all 
that  he  had  heard  of  M,  Brauermeister's  past  and 
Colonel  Miassoyedoff  s  present  treachery. 

A  watch  was  set  on  Miassoyedoif's  movements, 
with  the  result  it  was  proved  only  too  clearly  that 
K'-^s  statements  were  correct.  .Miassoyedoff  was 
arrested,  tried  by  court-martial  and  hanged. 
Miassoyedofi's  trial  had  however  lifted  only  a  small 
corner  of  the  spying-web  so  dexterously  spread  over 
the  country.  One  painful  discovery  led  to  another. 
The  War  Minister,  General  Soukhomlinoif,  in  whose 
house  Colonel  Miassoyedoff  had  been  on  the  most 
intimate  footing,  was  seriously  compromised.  Public 
opinion  required  his  immediate  removal,  but  pro- 
tected by  Rasputine,  who  was  besieged  by  constant 
visits  from  Madame  Soukhomlinoff  and  occasional 
ones  from  the  General  himself,  and  backed  by  the 
Empress,  the  Tzar  left  ■  General  Soukhomlinoff 
unmolested  for  several  months.  At  last  circum- 
stances grew  too  strong  to  be  ignored  with  impunity. 
The  army  was  in  a  state  of  boiling  indignation  to 
have  to  fight  without  guns  and  munitions.  Some- 
thing had  to  be  done,  and  General  Soukhomlinoff 


70         THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

received   his   dismissal,    conveyed   to   him   in   the 
following  letter  of  the  Emperor  : — 

Much  esteemed 

Vladimir  Alexandrovitch, 

I  am  much  distressed  in  being  obliged  to  inform  you 
that  I  have  come  to  the  corclusion  that,  in  the  interests 
of  Russia  and  with  a  view  to  give  satisfaction  to  the  army's 
wishes,  it  is  indispensable  for  you  to  give  up  the  administra- 
tion of  the  War  Office.  A  conversation  held  with  the 
Supreme  Commajider-in-Chief  strengthens  me  in  this  resolu- 
tion. 

It  gives  me  great  pain  to  write  this  to  you  after  our 
conversation  on  the  day  preceding  my  departure,  and  I 
rem.ember  with  satisfaction  that  no  misunderstandings 
have  ever  arisen  during  the  prolonged  time  of  our  work 
together.  History  will  appraise  your  activity,  may  be  its 
judgment  will  be  less  severe  than  that  of  j'our  contem- 
poraries. 

With  sincere  respect, 

Nicholas. 

This  letter  was-  brandished  about  by  General 
Soukhomlinoff,  and  shown  with  pride  to  his  col- 
leagues of  the  Upper  Chamber,  as  well  as  to  his 
friends. 

When  the  Emperor  returned  from  the  "  Stavka  " 
(Headquarters),  both  he  and  the  Em.press  received 
the  desolated  minister  in  the  most  amiable  manner, 
and  kept  him  to  lunch  with  them.  The  Sovereign's 
gracious  reception  of  the  m.an,  who  v/as  regarded  as 
having  brought  Russia  to  the  "verge  of  ruin  and 
defeat,  was  interpreted  in  a  highlj^  unfavourable 
way  by  the  population. 

As  far  back  as  August  29th,  o/s,  1914,  the  Supreme 
Commander's  Chief  of  Staff  informed  General 
Soukhomlinoff  of  the  exact  expenditure  of  munitions, 
begging  him  to  take  the.  necessary  m.easures  for 


THE  GREAT  BETRAYAL  71 

having  the  output  increased.  The  armies  of  the 
South  Western  Front  had  to  drive  the  enemy  from 
Lublin  and  to  pursue  him  through  GaUcia,  and  by  the 
end  of  August  the  stores  of  these  armies  were 
exhausted.  On  September  4th,  o  /s,  1914,  the  Chief- 
of-Staff  addressed  the  Chief  Administration  of  the 
Artiller}'  with  the  information  that  the  Grand  Duke 
Nicholas  considered  it  imperative  to  strain  every 
effort  in  order  to  allow  of  the  expenditure  of  one  and 
a  half  million  of  artillery  cartridges  a  month.  Taking 
into  consideration  that  the  fight  was  on  two  fronts, 
the  intensity  of  battle  could  only  be  kept  up  if  the 
above-named  supply  were  guaranteed.  General 
Soukhomlinoff  is  accused  of  delaying  and  under- 
taking nothing. 

At  about  the  same  time  General  Joffre  sent  a 
telegram  to  the  Russian  War  Minister  enquiring 
the  state  of  our  artillery  supplies.  General  Souk- 
homlinoff's  answer,  dated  September  i6th,  informed 
the  French  General  that  all  necessary  measures 
were  taken,  and  no  anxiety  need  be  felt  on  that 
score.  This  reply  led  the  French  Government  into 
error,  and  was  an  act  of  treason  against  Russia. 
Soukhomlinoff  knew  perfectly  well  that  the  ammu- 
nition of  the  Russian  Army  was  far  from  sufficient. 
He  had  received  several  urgent  wires  on  that  account 
from  Headquarters,  but  he  continued  to  reassure 
the  Tzar  and  the  Allies,  all  the  time  leaving  the 
Russian  Army  with  insufficient  munitions.  Even 
the  higher  military  dignitaries  were  left  in  ignorance 
of  the  real  state  of  things.  For  instance.  General 
Ivanoff  entered  upon  his  Carpathian  campaign 
fully  convinced  of  being  supplied  with  a  continual 
flow  of  munitions. 


72        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

With  terrible  losses  the  heroic  efforts  of  the 
Imperial  Guards  and  of  the  Siberian  regiments 
succeeded  in  driving  the  enemy  away  from  Warsaw, 
and  our  victorious  army  proceeded  to  Galicia, 
over  the  Carpathians  up  to  the  frontier  of  the  enemy's 
territor}\  Then  it  was  suddenly  ascertained  that 
the  Russian  Army  was  destitute  of  arms,  of  the 
means  with  which  to  wage  war.  Every  cannon 
could  only  fire  a  limited  number  of  shells.  Four 
cartridges  only  to  every  gun  could  be  allowed 
daily,  and  unarmed  soldiers  had  to  proceed  to  the 
attack.  Through  culpable  malpractices  the  Russian 
army  was  betrayed.  It  was  a  thrust  in  the  back 
that  obliged  the  victorious  armies  to  retreat.  The 
Russian  War  Minister  had  failed  in  the  task  allotted 
to  him. 

The  soldiers  remembered  this  when,  in  the  last 
days  of  February,  1917,  o/s,  they  were  ordered  to 
shoot  their  disarmed  fellow-citizens  in  the  streets  of 
Petrograd,  they  turned  their  rifles  against  the 
rotten  system  of  the  old  regime. 

At  the  instigation  of  the  Grand  Duke  Nicholas, 
a  special  commission,  under  the  presidency  of  the 
Grand  Duke  Serge  Michaelovitch,  was  organised, 
with  the  object  of  providing  the  army  with  the 
necessary  quantity  of  munitions.  During  the  space 
of  three  months  nothing  was  done  ! 

Everyone  knew,  more  or  less,  that  under  cover 
of  the  war  and  under  the  protection,  nay,  even 
with  the  concurrence  of  the  Chief  Military  Adminis- 
trators, a  mad  juggling  of  milliards  was  going  on, 
but  no  one  thought  it  was  done  in  such  a  cynical 
and    stupid    manner  I      The    accusation    against 


U 1-:  N  i:  K  A  L   so  I'  K(  )M  Ll  N  < )  1'  I- 
EX-MINISIER    OK    WAR 


I 


» 


THE  GREAT  BETRAYAL  73 

General  Soukhomlinoff  is  that,  living  on  his  pay, 
and  possessing  no  private  means,  he  suddenly 
became  the  owner  of  a  large  fortune,  amounting  to 
about  a  million  of  roubles  :  that  he  had  always  been 
inclined  to  have  business  transactions  with  shady 
customers,  but  since  his  second  marriage,  he  was 
surrounded  with  all  kinds  of  adventurers  and 
suspicious  individuals,  German  and  Austrian  spies 
conspicuous  among  their  number.  It  is  further 
alleged  that  Soukhomlinoff' s  best  friends  were  the 
Altschillers,  a  well-known  Austrian  family,  who  for 
many  years  past  had  been  established  in  Kiev, 
and  later  on  transferred  to  Petrograd.  Altschiller, 
senior,  was  the  chief  ot  the  Austrian  spying  organiza- 
tion, and  the  close  intimacy  he  and  his  famity  carried 
on  with  General  and  Madame  Soukhomlinoff  is 
said  to  have  been  very  much  to  his  advantage. 
Altschiller,  senior,  is  credited  with  knowing  every- 
thing that  happened  at  the  War  Office,  even  the 
purport  of  the  most  confidential  conversations 
between  the  Tzar  and  Soukhomlinoff.  Orders  and 
commissions  were  willingly  given  to  these  people, 
or  to  their  agents,  resulting  in  dilatoriness,  or  in 
their  execution  proving  useless.  Once  a  great 
quantity  ot  munitions  arrived  at  the  front  which 
would  not  fit  the  guns  and  rifles  for  which  they  were 
sent  I 

When  M.  Makeroff  was  Minister  of  the  Interior, 
some  time  before  the  war,  he  warned  General 
Soukhomlinoff  against  the  Altschillers,  but  the 
War  Minister  stood  up  for  them,  saying  he  knew  the 
family  in  Kiev,  where  he  had  spent  several  years 
as  Governor-General,  and  guaranteed  their  perfect 


74        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

trustworthiness.  Altschiller,  senior,  absconded  a 
few  weeks  before  the  war  was  declared,  his  son  was 
arrested,  as  were  likewise  many  other  of  Madame 
Soukhomlinoff's  doubtful  friends.  The  General  was 
called  to  the  rescue,  and  instead  of  thinking  of  the 
war  needs,  he  spent  hours  of  valuable  time  in 
insistent  endeavours  to  have  his  friends  set  free. 

All  this  proved  such  condemnatory  evidence 
against  the  fornier  Minister  of  War,  that  a  Senatorial 
revision  was  ordained  to  investigate  his  dealings. 
The  official  verification  of  documents  disclosed 
appalling  facts.  A  warrant  was  granted  to  search 
the  General's  private  abode,  which  resulted  in  his 
arrest  and  incarceration  in  the  Fortress  of  St.  Peter 
and  St.  Paul  in  the  early  spring  of  1916.  A  painful 
scene  occurred  in  the  course  of  the  arrest.  Madam.e 
Soukhomlinoff,  who  had  been  intensely  excited 
during  the  search,  had  a  terrible  attack  of  hj'steria, 
caused  by  the  unexpected  turn  things  were  taking. 
The  General  likewise  was  unnerved. 

After  recovering  from  the  first  shock,  Madame 
Soukhomlinoff  laid  herself  out,  with  wonderful 
energy  and  adroitness,  to  retrieve  the  fallen  fortunes 
of  her  husband .  She  hastened  to  interviev/  Rasputine, 
enlisted  the  sympathy  of  Madame  Vyrouboff, 
obtained  an  audience  of  the  Empress  Alexandra,  and, 
throwing  herself  at  the  latter's  feet,  implored  her 
intercession  in  favour  of  her  calumniated  and  injured 
husband.  The  trial  was  suspended,  and  the  papers 
ceased  giving  any  comm^unication  connected  with 
the  case.  Subsequently  there  appeared  a  short 
notice  about  the  former  War  Minister's  serious 
mental  illness,  and  the  names  of  several  well-knovv^n 


THE  GREAT  BETRAYAL  75 

nerve-doctors  were  mentioned  as  attending  hin). 
After  that  no  information  was  given,  but  ever^'one 
knew  that  General  Soukhomlinoff  had  been  released, 
and  was  comfortably  quartered  in  his  luxurious 
apartment ! 

The  news  of  Soukhomlinoff' s  liberation  passed 
from  mouth  to  mouth,  and  produced  the  most 
sinister  impression  on  people's  minds,  especially  on 
those  connected  with  the  army.  It  was  well  known 
that  this  act  of  weak  indulgence  towards  a  man 
whom  the  whole  nation  accused  of  being  criminal, 
was  due  to  Rasputine's  influence  with  the  Empress. 
It  was  she  who  had  compelled  the  Tzar  to  set  free 
the  man  v/ho  was  the  primary  cause  of  Russia's 
reverses.  A  wave  of  bitter  indignation  passed  over 
the  whole  country,  and  the  Empress  was  openly 
accused  of  being  in  connivance  with  the  gang  of 
German  agents.  This  insensate  act  of  folly  in 
releasing  from  prison  General  Soukhomlinoff  under- 
mined the  people's  trust  in  the  Tzar,  and  laid  the 
foundation-stone  to  the  approaching  revolution. 

A  few  words  of  Madame  Soukhomlinoff's  ante- 
cedents must  be  added  to  give  a  clear  impression  of 
the  woman  so  seriously  implicated  in  the  accusations 
against  her  husband.  Madame  Soukhomlinoff,  a 
Jewess  by  birth,  is  the  junior  of  her  husband  by 
many  years.  She  commenced  her  adventurous 
career  as  a  typist  in  a  solicitor's  office  in  Kiev.  It 
was  here  she  made  her  first  husband's  acquaint- 
ance, through  copying  some  important  documents 
for  him  M.  Boutovitch  was  a  prosperous  landed 
proprietor,  and  the  clever  .tjrpist,  Mile.  Gashke\ntch, 
dexterously   insinuated  herself  into  his    confidence 


76         THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

and  affections.  It  was  a  splendid  match  for  a 
penniless  young  woman,  but  the  marriage  was  not 
a  success.  Madame  Boutovitch,  meanwhile,  now 
that  she  had  married  into  the  gentry,  moved  in  the 
higher  circles  of  societj^  in  Kiev,  where  she  came  into 
contact  with  the  Governor-General,  who  was  at  the 
time  a  widower.  Pretty  Uttle  Madame  Boutovitch 
fascinated  him,  and  when  she  appealed  for  his 
influence  to  help  her  to  get  a  divorce  from  her 
unwilling  husband,  the  Governor-General  used  his 
power  to  free  the  young  woman  from  her  bonds. 
By  the  time  it  was  obtained,  the  amorous  old  General 
was  as  wax  in  her  hands,  and  in  November,  1909, 
soon  after  he  had  been  appointed  War  Minister,  he 
married  her. 

There  was  an  attempt  on  the  first  husband's  part  to 
prove  the  divorce  illegal,  for  the  reason  that  several 
documents  had  been  kept  back.  The  affair  was 
hushed  up,  but  will  all  come  out  at  the  approaching 
trial.  The  former  President  of  the  Upper  Chamber, 
M.  Stcheglovitoff,  who  was  arrested  on  the  first  day 
of  the  Revolution,  is  accused  of  having  suppressed 
some  important  papers  relative  to  the  divorce  case 
of  M.  and  Mme.  Boutovitch.  At  that  time  M. 
Stcheglovitoff  was  the  Minister  of  Justice  and  the 
Procurator -General.  It  was  M.  Altschiller  who 
conducted  the  divorce  case  on  Madame  Boutovitch's 
side,  and  Colonel  Miassoyedoff  was  her  adviser  and 
principal  helper. 

General  Soukhomlinoff  was  rearrested  during  the 
first  days  of  the  Revolution,  and  has  again  taken 
possession  of  his  cell  in  the  Fortress.  Now  it  is 
quite  comfortless,  whereas  a  year  ago,  owing  to  the 


THE  GREAT  BETRAYAL  ^y 

successful  intercession  of  his  wife,  it  was  turned  into 
a  little  study.  The  floor  was  carpeted,  a  comfortable 
easy-chair  imported,  and  his  bed  was  luxurious  in  its 
comfort.  A  few  days  subsequently  Madame 
Soukhomlinoff  was  arrested  likewise  and  taken  to 
the  Fortress.  Their  trial  will  be  a  sensational  one. 
The  Grand  Duke  Serge  Michaelovitch,  General 
Polivanoff  (who  at  one  time  wasGeneral  Soukhomlin- 
off's  assistant  and  eventually  his  successor),  the 
ballet-dancer,  Madame  Kchessinsky,  the  late  War 
Minister,  M.  Gutchkoff,  and  many  others  are 
included  amongst  the  numerous  witnesses  who  will 
appear. 

Spying  and  treachery  seemed  in  the  air.  Petrograd 
was  full  of  German  agents,  only  one  could  not  lay 
hands  on  them.  Most  of  the  suspicions  seemed  to 
lead  up  to  the  Palace  of  Tzarskoe  Selo.  The  Empress 
was  accused  of  having  a  wireless  installation  secreted 
in  the  Palace,  which  gave  her  the  opportunity  of 
sending  and  receiving  wireless  communications  from 
her  German  relatives.  However,  the  search  made 
after  the  Empress  Alexandra's  arrest  proved  this 
aspersion,  at  least,  to  be  false.  Notwithstanding 
the  minutest  examination  all  over  the  Palace, 
including  roof,  garrets  and  countless  lumber-rooms, 
nothing  of  the  kind  was  found. 

The  Grand  Duchess  Marie  Pavlovna,  the  widow  of 
the  Grand  Duke  Vladimir  and  a  Princess  of  Mecklen- 
burg-Schwerin  by  birth,  was  likewise  seriously 
suspected  of  Germanophile  inclinations.  All  the  old 
stories  of  her  youthful  days  were  ferreted  out  from 
the  oblivion  to  which  they  had  hitherto  been  com- 
mitted ;    how  in  the  reign  of  Alexander  III,  she  had 


78         THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

been  detected  in  political  correspondence  with  Prince 
Bismarck.  The  visits  she  made  to  her  hospital-train 
operating  at  the  front  were  regarded  with  uneasiness 
by  the  officers  of  the  General  Staff.  Her  arrivals, 
they  said,  were  always  the  precursors  of  reverses  on 
our  front. 

Openh^  criticizing  the  attitude  of  the  Empress 
Alexandra,  the  Grand  Duchess  endeavoured  to 
outshine  her,  and  displayed  a  marvellous  energy. 
Her  hospital-trains  and  other  organizations  were 
spread  into  an  extensive  net-work.  But  the  strange 
part  was  that  tKe  majority  of  the  officials  attached 
to  them  bore  German  names,  or  were  robust  young 
men,  mostly  scions  of  rich  merchant-families,  who 
preferred  such  work  to  joining  the  active  army.  If 
they  were  by  chance  called  upon  to  enter  the  ranks 
manfully,  a  wire  from  the  Grand  Duchess  to  a 
certain  general  smoothed  away  all  difficulties,  and 
these  heroes  of  the  white  feather  remained  un- 
molested. 

In  the  spring  of  1916  there  arose  some  dissension 
among  the  staff  of  the  Grand  Duchess's  stores  at 
Minsk,  and  several  officials  left,  not  wishing  to  be 
mixed  up  in  unpleasant  complications  that  might 
occur,  for  it  was  soon  blazed  abroad  that  Marie 
Pavlovna's  train  stationed  at  "  Stolbtzy,"  swarmed 
with  German  spies,  and  very  shortly  afterwards  the 
train  was  sent  to  the  rear  of  the  army. 

The  following  names  seem  strange  in  association 
with  a  Russian  army  fighting  the  Germans.  The 
principal  military  authorities  of  one  of  our  most 
important  fronts  are  :  The  Chief  of  the  Military 
Circuit  of  Minsk — General  Baron  Raush  von  Trattben- 


THE  GREAT  BETRAYAL  79 

berg  ;  his  assistant — General  Muller  ;  the  Command- 
ant— CotiTit  Dunten  (whose  brother,  the  owner  of  an 
estate  in  Livonia,  had  gone  over  to  the  Germans 
and  was  fighting  in  their  ranks)  ;  Engineer-General 
von  Cube,  the  representative  of  the  Empire's  Studs — 
General  von  Zander ;  the  Chief  of  the  Garrison — 
General  Baron  von  Dellingshausen.  Further  on  in 
"  Orsha  "  :  the  Commandant  Seidler  and  the  Station- 
master  Holmberg.  Another  Commandant  in  close 
vicinity  bore  the  n^me  of  Batimgarten.  The  rest 
of  General  Baron  Raush  von  Traubenberg's  Staff,  con- 
sisted of : — Grossman,  Scalon,  Kaiiger,  Horschelmann, 
Hubner,  Behr,  Schultz,  etc. 

Many  of  the  above-mentioned  officers  may  have 
been  loyally  disposed  towards  Russia,  and  associated 
with  Russians  their  political  integrity  would,  in  all 
probability,  not  have  been  open  to  suspicion.  It 
was  this  startling  conjunction  that  gave  so  un- 
pleasant an  impression. 

A  few  months  later  another  international  Russian 
lad}'-  made  an  unexpected  appearance  in  Petrograd. 
This  lady  came  from  Italy,  where  she  had  lived  for 
many  years.  Madame  Q.  had  been  a  very  pretty 
woman,  and  in  the  reign  of  Alexander  II  she  was  one 
of  the  leaders  of  smart  society.  She  had,  at  all  times, 
been  on  terms  of  the  greatest  intimacy  \\dth  the 
members  of  the  Austrian  Embassy.  The  late  Baron 
Ehrenthal  was  a  devoted  friend  of  hers,  when  he  was 
the  Councillor  of  the  Austrian  Embassy.  When  he 
left,  she  transferred  her  friendship  to  the  new 
Austrian  Ambassador,   Prince  Liechtenstein. 

Madame  Q.  had  always  been  on  intimate  terms 
with  M.  Stiirmer,  and  at  one  time  she  had  pulled  all 


8o        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS    . 

the  available  wires,  in  the  hope  of  having  him 
appointed  as  the  Russian  Ambassador  in  Vienna. 
Madame  Q.  was  extremely  wary  in  her  movements, 
still  her  unexpected  arrival  gave  people  food  for 
spreading  all  kinds  of  appalling  rumours.  Her 
sister-in-law  belonged  to  the  intimate  coterie  of 
the  Grand  Duchess  Marie  Pavlovna,  where  Madame 
Q.  was  graciously  made  welcome.  In  one  of  M. 
Miliukoff's  orations  during  the  January  sessions 
of  the  Duma,  he  mentioned  this  lady's  sojourn  in 
Petrograd  and  her  increasing  influence  in  instilling 
pacificator}^  notions  into  people's  minds. 

People  commenced  talking  of  M.  Sazonoff's 
resignation  and  of  his  being  succeeded  by  M. 
Stiirmer  at  the  Foreign  Office.  The  public  at  large 
did  not  credit  the  possibility  of  this  contingency,  but 
the  initiated  knew  better  .  .  .  they  knew  like- 
wise that  the  impending  change  was  inspired  from 
the  shores  of  the  Spree. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE   END   OF  A  TRAITOR 

THE  great  change  in  the  Chief  Command  of 
the  Russian  armies  was  effected  at  the  end 
ol  August,  19 15.  The  Grand  Duke  Nicholas 
was  appointed  Viceroy  in  the  Caucasus  and  the  Tzar 
took  the  Chief  Command  upon  himself.  Most  of  the 
Ministers  were  set  against  this  change,  especially 
M.  Sazonoff,  for  he  was  doubtful  of  the  impression 
this  change  would  make  on  the  Allies.  In  military 
circles,  however,  the  opinion  was  in  favour  of  the 
Tzar.  With  all  his  popularity  amongst  the  soldiers, 
the  Grand  Duke  Nicholas  was  not  much  liked  by  the 
army  leaders.  He  was  too  arbitrary  in  his  com- 
mands and  prone  to  listen  to  tale-bearers.  Hearing 
of  some  supposed  misuse,  without  examining  the 
pros  and  cons  of  the  question,  he  would  fly  into  one 
of  his  violent  fits  of  passion,  uselessly  storming  at 
an  imagined  culprit.  Headquarters  was  full  of 
intrigues  and  all  kinds  of  misuses.  Most  of  the 
generals  were  at  loggerheads,  and  thought  more  of 
their  petty  jealousies  than  of  their  work.  Too 
many  women  were  about,  some  of  them  were 
suspected  of  being  German  agents  and  several  of 
the  Grand  Duke's  rash  decisions  were,  so  it  was 
surmised,  inspired  from  Berlin,  without  his  being 

81 


82         THE  JFALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

aware  of  it.  The  atmosphere  wanted  clearing,  and 
our  persistent  reverses,  succeeding  so  quickly  upon 
our  brilliant  successes,  made  the  change  a  verj^ 
acceptable  one  in  the  eyes  of  the  Army. 

People  did  not  know  that  Rasputine  was  at  the 
bottom  of  this  change,  and  that,  pressed  by  him,  the 
Empress  had  insisted  upon  it. 

A  gradual  change  seemed  to  come  over  the  Tzar, 
he  was  subject  to  fits  of  depression,  and  his  regained 
robustness  and  animation  were  giving  way  to  dejected 
apathy.  The  Empress  made  herself  Rasputine's 
mouthpiece,  and  insisted  upon  the  most  absurd  and 
dangerous  measures.  The  Monarch  was  harassed 
by  his  wife's  demands,  v/hich  often  went  against  his 
own  convictions  ;  but  the  Emperor  was  as  wax  in 
her  hands,  he  could  never  withstand  her  long. 
Genera.1  Alexeieff  confessed  that  in  the  "  Stavka  " 
the  visits  of  the  Empress  were  dreaded,  and  some 
calamity  generally  followed  them.  Her  influence 
over  the  Sovereign  was  as  com.plete  as  it  was  fatal. 

A  spell  seemed  to  have  been  cast  on  the  mental 
faculties  of  the  Tzar.  He  was  being  led  blind- 
folded to  an  abyss.  Tzardom  was  crumbling 
slowly  but  surely,  and  it  was  the  Empress's  acts 
that  were  sapping  the  monarchy.  The  Government 
seemed  to  be  dancing  a  mad  war-dance  at  the  very 
edge  of  a  precipice.  A  strange  juggling  of  Ministers 
was  going  on,  which  discredited  the  Cabinet.  No 
confidence  was  felt,  and  the  symbol  of  power  was 
sinking.  The  united  Ministry  existed  no  longer  : 
nominations  were  made  v/ithout  consulting  the 
Prime  Minister,  and  the  Ministers  were  chosen  from 
various  camps,  with  opposite  views  and  convictions. 


THE  END  OF  A  TRAITOR  83 

Rasputine  and  his  favourites  were  felt  at  every  step, 
their  resistance  or  their  insistence  interfered  with 
everything  .  .  .  and  it  was  the  Russian 
Government  that  was  carrying  out  their  iniquitous 
plans. 

General  Polivanoff  had  succeeded  General  Souk- 
homlinoff  at  the  War  Office.  At  one  time  he  had 
been  the  latter's  assistant,  but  was  removed  in 
consequence  of  the  startling  revelations,  which  the 
member  of  the  Duma,  M.  Gutchkoff*  had  made  to 
the  Tzar  a  couple  of  years  before  the  war,  concerning 
the  misuses  reigning  in  the  War  Office.  General 
Soukhomlinpff  suspected  his  assistant  of  being  the 
informer. 

At  this  juncture,  General  Polivanoff  was  un- 
mistakably the  right  man  in  the  right  place,  for 
though  somewhat  gruff  in  manner  and  far  from 
being  a  courtier,  he  had  the  recommendation  of  a 
high  standard  of  integrity,  was  wonderfully  energetic 
and  had  the  gift  of  organisation.  Thanks  to  him  our 
foundries  and  manufactories  commenced  to  work 
with  redoubled  zeal  and,  in  an  astonishingly  short 
time,  our  army  was  amply  provided  with  ammuni- 
tion. Hopes  revived,  success  seemed  certain,  when 
suddenly  without  any  visible  motive  the  Tzar's 
Ukase  appeared,  appointing  General  Schuvaieff  to 
the  post  of  Minister  of  War.  The  news  of  his 
discharge  was  conveyed  to  General  Polivanoff  in  the 
following  manner.  He  had  sent  some  papers  for  the 
Sovereign's  signature  to  the  Stavka.  When  the 
signed  documents  were  returned,  tlie  General  found 
between  the  leaves  a- fully  drawn  out  Ukase  of  his 

*  The  pve^ent  War  Minister. 


84        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

dismissal  and  General  Schuvaieff's  nomination.  A 
highly  flattering  Imperial  rescript  to  General 
Polivanoff  appeared  simultaneously  in  the  papers. 

General  Schuvaieff  had  up  to  this  administered  the 
Intendancy,  and  had  proved  himself  extremely 
competent.  His  honesty  was  beyond  doubt,  but 
he  was  an  old  man  and,  although  he  worked  hard,  he 
had  neither  the  strength  nor  the  energy  of  his 
predecessor.  About  seven  or  eight  months  later, 
shortly  before  the  Revolution,  General  Belaieff 
succeeded  Schuvaieff,  again  without  any  visible 
reason  to  justify  the  change.  The  new  Minister 
was  not  a  popular'  man,  nor  were  his  abilities  out- 
standing. He  was  a  convinced  routinist,  and  his 
predilection  for  formalism  did  not  slacken  even 
when  urgency  and  speed  were  imperative.  'Official 
papers  had  to  be  copied  and  recopied  as  many  as 
eight  times  for  the  most  trivial  reasons,  the  Minister 
insisting  on  adding  or  excluding  valueless  words 
which  could  not  modify  the  tenour  of  the  text. 
Officers  were  threatened  with  discharge  if  a  slight 
printer's  error  occurred  in  printed  documents.  The 
Minister's  activity  was  principally  centred  on  such 
immaterial  details.  Fortunately  the  Revolution 
intervened  and  this  Minister  was  removed.  • 

The  discharge  of  the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs 
in  May,  1916,  was  a  blow  that  fell  heavily  on  every- 
one, and  was  a  surprise  to  the  Minister  himself. 
M.  Sazonoff  was  in  Finland  at  the  time,  enjoying  a 
short  ■  rest-cure,  when  the  news  of  his  dismissal 
reached  him.  The  diplomatic  representatives  of  our  , 
Allies  were  thunderstruck,  and  Russian  politicians 
were  lost  in  amazement  at  this  sudden  resolve  of  the 


THE  END  OF  A  TRAITOR  85 

Monarch  to  part  with  his  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs. 
No  one  was  able  to  account  for  it.  But  when  it  was 
known  that  M.  Stiirmer  was  to  step  into  his  place, 
wonder  changed  to  dismay.  M.  Stiirraer's  reputation 
was  definitely  established  and  he  inspired  no  con- 
fidence in  anyone.  Only  the  Empress  and  her 
satellites  rejoiced,  for  they  thought  M.  Stiirmer  would 
pave  the  way  to  secure  the  much  longed-for  Peace, 
no  matter  at  what  price. 

In  the  Ministry  of  the  Interior  one  Minister 
chased  another  ;  it  was  a  regular  game  of  leap-frog. 
These  continual  changes  became  ludicrous.  One 
Minister  would,  for  instance,  ordain  the  revision  of 
some  province.  The  official,  to  whom  this  con- 
fidential mission  was  entrusted,  would  leave  Petrograd 
provided  with  necessar^^  instructions,  but  when  he 
returned,  another  Minister  had  been  in  the  meanwhile 
appointed.  The  Ministers  themselves  felt  so  insecure 
as  to  their  position  that  some  of  them  did  not  take 
the  trouble  to  move  into  the  state  apartment  allotted 
to  every  Minister,  or  if  they  did  settle  in  their  new 
abode,  they  kept  on  their  former  apartment  in  case 
of  an  emergency. 

In  the  spring  of  19 15,  at  the  insistence  of  the  Grand 
Duke  Nicholas,  the  Ministers  of  the  Interior,  M. 
Maklakoff,  and  of  Justice,  M.  Stcheglovitoff,  were 
dismissed  because  they  were  retrogressive.  This 
measure  was  taken  to  conciliate  the  Liberals,  who* 
were  gaining  the  upper  hand.  M.  Maklakoff's 
successor  in  the  Home  Office  was  Prince  Stcherbatoff . 
The  Prince,  though  a  gallant  gentleman  and  a  man 
ot  untarnished  honour,  was  no  statesman  and 
possessed  no  experience  of  the  technical  side  of 


86        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

administration .  After  a  few  nxontlis  he  was  succeeded 
by  a  member  of  the  Duma,  M.  Alexis  Khvostoff,  the 
leader  of  the  Right.  It  seemed  a  very  wise  choice, 
for  M.  Khvostoff  is  a  man  of  ability  and  strength  of 
purpose.  Great  hopes  were  entertained  of  him. 
Unfortunately  he  favoured  the  Jesuitical  maxim 
that  the  end  justifies  the  means.  This  proved  his 
stumbling-block.  The  circumstances  of  his  downfall 
are  as  follows :  About  twelve  years  previous,  a  monk 
of  the  narfie  of  lUiodore  played  a  conspicuous  part 
during  the  time  of  the  first  Revolution.  He  was  a 
born  leader,  and  his  influence  over  his  fellow-citizens 
in  Tzaritzine  was  unbounded.  Being  however  of  a 
som^ewhat  turbulent  nature,  his  acts  had  excited 
conflicts  with  the  authorities.  Various  opinions 
were  held  of  the  monk  ;  some  had  an  exalted  idea 
of  him,  others  quite  the  reverse.  The  Empress, 
always  inclined  to  take  up  such  monastic  individuals, 
wished  to  see  him,  and  she  and  the  Tzar  gave  him 
their  support  in  several  cases  of  dissension  with  the 
superior  Black  Clergy*. 

lUiodore  had  been  a  friend  of  Rasputine's,  for  he 
had  frequently  met  him  in  the  course  of  their 
pilgrimages.  At  the  commencement  of  Rasputine's 
career  lUiodore  had  helped  him  and  done  a  great  deal 
to  bring  him  into  prominence,  but  when  he  found  out 
the  real  nature  of  Rasputine,  he  turned  upon  him  and 
denounced  him  with  the  violence  inherent  in  his 
nature,  m.aking  a  bitter  enemy  of  the  favoured 
staretz.    Fresh  conflicts  arose  between  the  unruly 

*  In  Russia  the  Prelates  and  Priests  belon^g  to  monastical  orders 
are  called  the  "  Black  Clercy,"  whilst  the  "White  Clergy"  is  composed 
of  Priests,  who  are  laymen.  The  latter  can  enter  the  married  state,  but 
only  once  in  a  lifetime. 


THE  END  OF  A  TRAITOR  87 

lUiodore  and  the  Holy  Synod,  and  he  was  persecuted 
for  all  kinds  ot  misdoings.  The  Empress  had  with- 
drawn her  protection,  and  dreading  the  consequences 
of  Rasputine's  rancour,  lUiodore  fled  to  Norway, 
where,  feeling  safe  from  malevolent  molestation,  the 
vindictive  monk  devoted  his  leisure  in  wreaking 
vengeance  on  his  foes,  and  commenced  writing  a 
book  revealing  Rasputine's  true  character,  the 
cynicism  of  his  doctrine,  giving  full  details  of  his 
profligate  life,  disclosing  facts  of  his  intercourse  at 
Court,  confirmed  by  letters  and  documents,  which 
he  asserts  were  stolen  from  Rasputine.  The  book 
was  published  under  the  title  The  Holy  Devil,  and 
was  vehement  in  its  denunciations.  Just  before 
the  book  was  to  be  issued,  and  dreading  the  im- 
pression that  such  a  work,  full  of  lashing  sneers  and 
condemnation,  would  have  on  the  reading  public,  it 
is  said  that  M.  Khvostoff,  wishing  to  prevent  its 
publication  sent  a  confidential  man  to  Norway,  pro- 
vided with  the  sum  of  50,000  roubles  to  buy  the 
manuscript  from  lUiodore. 

Unfortunately  M.  Khvostoff  chose  a  man. he  had 
known  in  Nijni  Novgorod  during  his  residence  there 
as  Governor,  a  certain  journalist,  Rjevsky,  in  whose 
skill  the  Minister  trusted,  convinced  he  v/ould 
manage  this  delicate  business  successfully.  Instead 
Ci  which,  Rjevsky  spent  several  days  rioting  in  the 
most  dissipated  way,  bragging  about  the  confidential 
mission  entrusted  to  him  and  attracting  the  attention 
of  the  secret  police.  Rjevsky  was  arrested  on  the 
frontier  of  vSweden,  searched  and  on  him  was  found  a 
large  sum  of  money.  He  was  prevailed  upon  to  give 
a  quite  different  account  of  his  mission. 


88        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

Rjevsky  confessed  to  have  been  sent  by  M.  Alexis 
Khvostoff  to  the  monk  Illiodore  to  organize  the 
murder  of  Rasputine,  and  thus  save  Russia  from  his 
pestilential  domination.  The  money  was  given 
to  him  to  further  this  plan.  There  was  a  great  out- 
cry amidst  Rasputine's  flock  of  ardent  followers  : 
the  Empress  clamoured  for  rigorous  measures. 
M.  Khvostoff  was  obliged  to  resign.  M.  Stiirmer 
took  the  portfolio  of  Minister  of  the  Interior,  ex- 
changing it  a  few  months  later  for  that  of  the 
Foreign  Office.  When  this  happened,  M.  Alexis 
Khvostoff's  uncle,  M.  Alexander  Khvostoff,  who 
had  succeeded  M.  Stcheglovitoff  a  year  ago  in  the 
Ministry  of  Justice,  was  induced  to  accept  the 
portfolio  of  the  Interior,  and  was  one  of  the  best 
ministers  of  this  difficult  period.  But  he  proved  a 
serious  obstacle  in  M.  Stiirmer's  way,  preventing  the 
latter  from  freely  carrying  out  his  programme.  The 
Prime  Minister  complained  to  the  Tzar  that  it  was 
impossible  to  work  with  M.  Khvostoff,  and  the 
latter  received  his  discharge  in  the  most  sudden  and 
unexpected  manner. 

The  growing  exasperation,  however,  reached  its 
climax  when  it  became  "known  that  the  new  Minister 
of  the  Interior  was  to  be  M.  Protopopoff.  This 
nomination  broke  the  record  of  the  Government's 
vacillation.  No  one  knew  what  to  expect  next. 
M.  Protopopoff  is  personally  known  in  England.  He 
arrived  in  London  in  1916  at  the  head  of  the  Russian 
deputation  from  the  Duma.  He  is  a  man  of  con- 
siderable wealth,  and  is  the  owner  of  a  large  estate 
in  the  Government  of  Simbirsk,  and  of  a  cloth 
manufactory  in  its  vicinity.    His  reputation  was  not 


M.   PKororoPOFK 


THE  END  OF  A  TRAITOR  89 

of  a  high  standard,  and  he  had  more  critics  than 
friends.  He  was  considered  clever,  proficient  in 
intrigue,  with  a  good  head  for  business,  though  some- 
what crafty  in  his  deaUngs  and  utterly  unqualified 
for  such  an  important  post.  He  has  a  peculiar 
charm  of  manner,  fascinating  at  the  outset,  which 
gains  him  a  certain  shallow  popularity.  He  had 
been  the  assistant  of  the  President  of  the  Duma  and 
belonged  to  the  "  Octobrist  "  faction  ;  but  he  had 
entirely  discredited  himself  in  the  eyes  of  the  Duma, 
and  of  the  right-minded  public  by  his  indiscreet 
interview  in  Stockholm  with  a  German  diplomatist 
on  the  possibilities  of  peace.  Secret  though  the 
communications  had  been,  the  gist  of  it  appeared 
in  the  German  press,  and  was  not  calculated  to 
impress  favourably  either  the  Russians  or  their 
Allies. 

M.  Stiirmer,  M.  Protopopoff,  General  Woyeikoff, 
Madame  Vyrouboff,  inspired  by  Rasputine  and 
headed  by  the  Empress,  were  henceforth  to  rule  the 
country,  and  everyone  knew  they  were  stretching 
out  their  hands  to  grasp  the  olive  branch,  so  eagerly 
extended  to  Russia  by  Germany.  The  price  the 
nation  would  have  to  pay  for  this  was  a  question 
to  which  they  were  supremely  indifferent. 

It  was  little  over  a  year  ago  that  Doctor  Badmaeff 
introduced  M.  Protopopoff  to  Rasputine,  and  the 
latter  was  beguiled  by  the  voice  of  the  charmer  and 
the  similarity  of  their  opinions.  When  he  left,  the 
staretz  was  loud  in  his  praises  :  "  There's  a  head  for 
you  I "  he  exclaimed ;  "he  takes  the  shine  out  of  our 
Ministers."  This  was  the  moment  when  the  fate 
of   M.    Protopopoff  swayed   in   the   balance.    The 


go        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

whole  course  of  his  life  was  changed,  for  until  then 
he  was  quite  unlcnown  in  Court  circles. 

In  the  course  of  a  few  days  M.  Protopopoff  was 
invited  to  visit  Rasputine,  the  latter  introduced 
him  to  Madame  Vyrouboff,  and  through  her  agenc}' 
he  became  known  to  the  Empress.  His  insinuating 
manners  and  brilliant  conversation  pleased  Her 
Majesty.  To  all  intents  and  purposes  he  seemed  a 
man  v/ho  could  be  useful,  and  he  soon  became  a 
member  of  the  Sovereign's  intimate  coterie.  The 
other  courtiers  looked  on  this  intrusion  with  dis- 
pleasure, and  even  the  Tzar  saw  in  M.  Protopopoff 
an  outsider  suddenly  sprung  into  favour  Hke  a 
jack-in-the-box.  When  the  idea  was  suggested  to 
him  in  the  early  autumn  of  1916  to  choose  M. 
Protopopoff  for  the  vacant  post  of  Minister  of  the 
Interior,  the  Tzar  laughed  the  idea  to  scorn.  "  W^at 
kind  of  a  Minister  could  he  m.ake  ?  "  he  said  ;  but 
he  was  overpersuaded.  The  embryo  statesman 
used  all  his  arts  to  fascinate,  the  Empress  set  forth 
her  most  conclusive  arguments,  M.  Stiirmer  insisted 
on  the  advisabiHty  of  this  nomination.  The  idea 
seemed  gradual^  to  appear  less  preposterous,  and 
finally  the  Tzar  was  prevailed  upon  to  yield. 

As  soon  as  his  appointment  was  an  accomplished 
fact,  M.  Protopopoff,  who  had  belonged  to  the 
Octobrists .  and  was  considered  Liberal  and  Pro- 
gressive in  political  spheres,  resolutely  turned  over 
a  new  leaf.  He  became  ultra-reactionary,  having 
recourse  to  the  most  exasperating  repressions. 

The  opening  of  the  Duma  session  was  fixed  for 
November  5.  Until  then  there  was  aiuU  before  the 
storm,  but  the  air  was  full  of  electricity. 


1 


I'RINCK    KKl.IX    VOl'SSOUIMFK 


THE  END  OF  A  TRAITOR  91 

The  anxiously  expected  first  session  was  a  tem- 
pestuous one.  The  greatest  distrust  of  the  Premier 
was  manifested..  He  was  accused  of  double-dealing, 
and  when  he  left  the  assembly  he  was  followed  by 
the  cry:  "  Doloy,  doloy  I  "  (Away,  away).  That 
same  evening  M.  Stiirmer  started  for  Mohilev  to 
give  His  Majesty  a  full  report.  M.  Protopopoff  did 
not  make  a  public  speech,  but  during  private 
parliamentary  debates,  held  behind  closed  doors,  he 
proved,  an  amazingly  weak  antagonist,  incapable  of 
defending  a  single  argument,  and  unable  to  stand  up 
firmly  for  any  idea. 

Several  vigorous  speeches  were  pronounced  from 
the  Duma  tribune.  They  were  so  bold  in  their 
accusations  that  the  press  censor  suppressed  them. 
This  only  enhanced  their  significance  and  hundreds 
of  typed  copies  were  circulated  among  the  people. 

M.  Miliukoff  was  pitiless  in  his  condemnation  of 
the  Empress  for  her  support  of  the  plan,  originated 
in  Germany,  of  a  speedy  and  separate  peace,  regard- 
less of  circumstances,  conditions,  or  national  honour. 
He  quoted  passages  from  different  German  news- 
papers, in  which  "die  Friedens-partei  der  jungen 
Tzarin  "*  was  frcety  discussed.  He  was  very  out- 
spoken in  referring  to  the  "  Dark  Powers,"  which 
surrounded  the  Throne,  and  had  latety  assumed 
such  overwhelming  dimensions.  Other  orations 
followed,  eloquent  in  their  aggressiveness  against 
the  Government  and  the  Tzar's  entourage.  The 
speeches  of  MM.  Kerensky,  Schulguirie,  Purishke- 
vitch,  Count  Bobrinsky,  etc.,  v/ere  vehement  m 
their  denunciation.    The  dubious   attitude  of  the 

*  The  peace  party  of  the  young  Tzaritza. 


92        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

German  Grand  Duchesses  was  mentioned,  and  the 
baneful  Germanophile  agitation  going  on  in  some 
of  the  leading  salons  in  society  was  alluded  to  with 
the  most  outspoken  frankness.  No  names  were 
mentioned  ;   but  everj^one  knew  who  was  meant. 

M.  Purishkevitch,  up  to  quite  lately  of  the  Right 
party,  and  a  staunch  Monarchist,  concluded  a  speech 
with  the  words  directly  addressed  to  the  assembled 
Ministers  :  /'If  you  are  not  varlets,  all  of  you,  you 
must  go  to  the  Tzar  and  beg  him  on  your  knees  to 
deliver  the  country  of  Rasputine  and  his  disastrous 
influence !  "  Accusatory  speeches  were  likewise 
delivered  in  the  Upper  Chamber :  the  most  brilliant 
amongst  them  was  that  of  Prince  Eugene  Troubetzkoi. 

Meanwhile  M.  Stiirmer  returned  from  the  stavka. 
His  resignation  was  accepted,  both  as  Premxier  and  as 
Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs.  No  other  course  was 
possible  on  account  of  the  attitude  taken  up  by  the 
Duma  towards  him,  but  to  enphasise  the  favour 
which  he  continued  to  enjoy  with  the  Sovereign,  the 
distinguished  Court  post  of  '"  Chief  Chamberlain  " 
was  granted  to  him.  The  choice  of  the  new  Premier 
fell  on  the  Minister  of  Ways  and  Communications, 
Senator  Alexander  Trepoff,  a  clever'  and  energetic 
man  and  a  staunch  Monarchist.  M.  Pokrovsky, 
who  later  on  was  characterized  in  one  of  the  Duma 
speeches  as  being  of  "  crystal  purity,"  was  appointed 
Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs. 

The  expected  discharge  of  M.  Protopopoff  was  not 
forthcoming,  but  this  was  explained  as  the  desire  in 
high  quarters  not  to  give  in  too  much  at  once.  It 
was  however  firmly  believed  that  this  concession 
would  likewise  be  made  to  public  opinion,  and  that  a 


M.    PlTRISKEVrn  H 


THE  END  OF  A  TRAITOR  93 

change  would  be  made  for  the  New  Year.  A  means 
had  even  been  found  by  which  the  Empress  could 
keep  such  a  valuable  partisan  at  Court  without 
incurring  the  Duma's  interference.  M.  Protopopoff 
was  to  be  appointed  as  Chief  of  the  Imperial  Chancer}^ 
for  the  reception  of  petitions.  But  an  unforeseen 
event  upset  all  expectations,  creating  the  greatest 
perturbation  all  over  the  country,  especially  in 
Petrograd  and  in  Tzarskoe  Selo. 

On  December  17th,  six  words  in  the  evening  issue 
of  the  Exchange  Newspaper  caused  this  commotion  : 
"  Gregory  Rasputine  has  ceased  to  exist  I  " 

The  news  spread  like  wildfire  all  over  the  town 
that  Rasputine  had  met  with  a  violent  death  in  one 
of  the  mansions  of  the  capital.  The  most  amazing 
details  were  given,  but  no  one  knew  exactly  what  had 
happened.  The  newspapers  began  by  giving  hazy, 
j^et  transparent  accounts  ;  but  even  these  were 
stopped.  The  name  of  Rasputine  was  not  to  be 
mentioned  and  no  details  to  be  given,  only  the  bare 
facts  of  his  death  and  the  subsequent  finding  of  his 
body  were  divulged  to  the  public. 

The  circumstances  which  led  up  to  this  tragic 
occurrence  are  as  follows.  A  strong  resentment 
was  felt  in  high  spheres  against  the  ascendancy 
assumed  at  Court  by  such  a  wretched  miscreant  as 
Rasputine.  Repeated  attempts  had  been  made  to 
open  the  Tzar's  eyes  to  the  true  state  of  things,  but 
every  effort  shattered  against  the  supremacy  of 
the  Empress  Alexandra's  power.  The  Dowager 
Empress  Marie  had  spoken  seriously  to  her  son  on  the 
subject  in  the  autumn  of  1916,  when  he  visited  Kiev. 
Both  his  sisters  told  him  plainly  that  the  position 


94        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

the  Empress  Alexandra  permitted  Rasputine  to 
occupy,  and  the  things  going  on  at  the  Court,  gave 
rise  to  the  most  egregious  tales  being  spread  among 
the  army  and  the  people.  These  conduced  only  to 
the  abasement  of  Sovereignty,  and  sov/ed  the  most 
fatal  seeds  of  ridicule  and  distrust.  Several  of  the 
Grand  Dukes,  the  Tzar's  brother,  Michael,  included, 
warned  him  of  the  serious  turn  events  were  taking. 
All  was  in  vain  I 

There  had  been  a  plan  mooted  of  inducing  the 
Tzar  to  divorce  the  Em^press.  The  dissolution  of 
his  m.arriage  would  have  saved  the  Throne,  and  put 
an  effective  stop  to  this  awful  "  Rasputiniad," 
but  the  monarch  had  always  put  his  family-affections 
before  his  duty  to  the  country.  He  would  not  hear 
of  such  a  thing,  and  both  the  Sovereigns  were  highly 
mdignant  that  such  an  idea  could  be  seriously 
contemplated.  The  Grand  Duke  Nicholas  Michaelo- 
vitch,  who  was  always  inclined  to  be  a  "  frondeur," 
prepared  a  written  statement,  which  he  personally 
brought  to  Tzarskoe  Selo  and  read  out  to  his  cousin 
the  Emperor. 

The  Grand  Duke  was  extremely  oytspoken,  and 
did  not  hesitate  to  call  a  spade  a  spade.  He  told 
the  Tzar  that,  he  was  responsible  to  the  Romanoff 
Famity  for  the  safety  of  the  Dynast3^  When  he 
mentioned  Rasputine  and  his  pernicious  influence, 
the  Em.peror  interrupted  him  in  an  irritated  manner  : 

"  That  is  only  Purishkevitch!s  nonsense,"  he  said. 

After  having  attentively  listened  to  all  his  cousin 
had  to  say,  the  Emperor  took  the  written  statement 
and  showed  it  to  the  Empress,  who  flew  into  a 
\Hiolent  passion  and  tore  it  up  in  indignation. 


THE  END  OF  A  TRAITOR  95 

About  the  same  time  occurred  the  episode  between 
the  Empress  and  the  wife  of  a  member  of  the  Upper 
Chamber,  Princess  Wassiltchikoff,  by  birth  a 
Princess  Mestchersky.  The  Princess  wrote  pointing 
out  to  the  Empress  the  danger  of  her  perpetual 
interference,  cautioning  her  as  to  the  peril  into 
which  she  was  leading  the  Empire.  The  name  of 
Rasputine  was  not  mentioned  in  the  letter.  But  the 
warning  did  more  harm  than  good.  The  Princess 
was  guilty  of  a  serious  breach  in  writing  to  a  Sovereign 
without  observing  any  of  the  usual  forms.  The 
letter  was  written  spontaneously  on  several  sheets 
of  note  paper  torn  from  a  letter  pad,  hurriedly 
put  into  an  envelope  and  slipped  into  the  pillar-box. 
The  Princess  confessed  that  she  wished  to  say  what 
she  had  said,  but  had  not  the  courage  to  read  it  over. 
It  would  have  been  much  wiser  to  have  left  the 
serious  part  of  the  letter  untouched,  at  the  same  time 
softening  some  of  its  harshness,  and  observing  the 
forms  etiquette  requires  in  addressing  a  crowned  head. 
This  flaw  in  the  Princess's  armour  was  used  against  her. 

The  Empress  was  furious,  and  considered  the  way 
she  had  been  addressed  by  a  subject  of  the  Tzar  as  a 
gross  impertinence  towards  his  Consort.  She  com- 
plained to  the  Emperor,  showed  him  the  sheets  of 
block-note  paper,  pointed  out  the  way  she  was 
addressed,  laying  no  stress  on  the  tenour  of  the 
letter.  The  Sovereigns  agreed  to  act  rigorously, 
especially  as  the  Empress  had  been  lately  receiving 
many  anonymous  letters  fuU  of  recrimination. 
Princess  Wassiltchikoff  was  sent  out  of  Petrograd 
to  her  estate.  Her  husband  accompanied  her  and, 
soon  after  the  incident,  received  his  discharge:  he 

G 


96        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

was  a  member  of  the  Upper  Chamber  by  appoint- 
ment, not  by  election. 

All  these  danger-signals  were  left  unnoticed,  the 
Empress  reassured  by  her  favourite  associates,  did 
not  believe  in  the  existing  peril. 

Shortly  before  these  events  a  plan  of  the  Empress 
had  been  discovered  which  caused  the  members  of 
the    Imperial    Family    grave    anxiety.     The    part 
Catherine  II  played  in  Russian  History  had  from  the 
first  appealed  to  the  Empress's  imperious  nature. 
\Vhen  the  question  was  broached  as  to  what  name 
she  should  assume  as  the  future  Empress  of  Russia, 
the  Princess  suggested  Catherine,  but  the  name  was 
disapproved    of    by    the    Dowager    Empress,    and 
Alexandra    was   substituted.     The   idea   had   been 
suggested  to   Her  Majesty  that  the  best  way  to 
obtain  unlimited  power  would  be  to  get  the  Emperor 
into  such  a  state  of  debility  that  he  would  have  to  be 
set  aside  in  favour  of  the  Tzessarevitch,  and  she 
"would  be  proclaimed  the  Regent  during  her  son's 
minority.     She    could   then    direct    the    course    of 
Russian  politics  in  the  way  she  pleased. 

Madame  Vyrouboff  was  only  too  anxious  to  play 
the  part  of  Princess  Catherine  Dashkoff,  who  had  so 
skilfully  helped  the  wife  of  Peter  III  to  overthrow 
her  husband  and  proclaim  herself  Empress  of 
Russia.  With  the  support  of  Rasputine,  M. 
Stiirmer,  Protopopoff  and  some  others,  it  was 
thought  this  bold  plan  could  be  successfully  carried 
out.  This  is  said  to  explain  the  various  stories  of 
philtres  and  herb  -  infusions  with  which  the  Tzar 
had  been  drenched  under  pretext  of  giving  him  new 
strength,  health  and  the  blessing  of  God. 


PRINCKSS   WASSll.TCHlKOFK, 
WHO   WAS   SENT  TO   HER   COUNTRY   SEAT   FOR    WARNINC 
THE   EMPRESS   AGAINST  THE  COURSE  SHE   WAS   PURSUING 


THE  END  OF  A  TRiVITOR  97 

The  Empress  forgot  two  things  :  first — the  time 
we  live  in  is  widely  different  from  the  period  of  the 
reign  of  Peter  III,  over  a  hundred  and  fifty  years 
ago.  What  was  possible  then  would  scarcely 
succeed  now.  The  second  omission  was  the  immense 
popularity  of  the  Empress  Catherine  who,  from  the 
first  day  of  her  foot  touching  Russian  soil,  had  stead- 
fastly endeavoured  to  ingratiate  herself  with  the 
Russians,  and  gain  the  hearts  of  her  future  subjects. 
Whereas  the  Empress  Alexandra  was  frankly  de- 
tested by  the  Russian  nation,  and  from  the  very  first 
had  done  everything  she  could  to  repel  popularity. 

Gatherings  were  held  in  private  palaces;  as  well  as 
in  aristocratic  mansions  to  deliberate  on  the  critical 
position  of  the  country  brought  about  by  the 
reprehensible  extravagance  of  one  woman.  The  last 
conference  took  place  in  the  hospital-train  of  M. 
Purishkevitch.  What  passed  during  this  consulta- 
tion is  not  exactly  known,  for  all  those  implicated  in 
the  plot  were  extremely  cautious  in  their  partial 
revelations.  Even  at  the  present  moment,  when  all 
danger  of  reprisal  is  over,  they  object  to  have  the 
veil  torn  off  which  shrouds  the  ghastly  secret 
of  that  fatal  night.  The  conclusion  was  arrived 
at  that  Rasputine  and  his  viciousness  were  the  plague- 
spot  of  Russian  existence  and,  as  no  exhortation 
helped  to  put  a  stop  to  this  wanton  farce,  the  fellow 
must  be  forcibly  removed  out  of  harm's  way. 
Three  of  the  participants  :  the  Grand  Duke  Dmitry 
Pavlovitch,  Prince  Felix  Youssoupoff,  junior,  and 
M.  Purishkevitch,  tossed  up  as  to  who  should  fire 
the  shot.  The  hazard  of  the  die,  it  is  said,  fell  to  the 
lot  of  Prince  Youssoupoff. 


98        THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

The  Prince  decided  io  give  a  supper  party  on  the 
night  of  December  i6th,  o/s,  in  the  sumptuous 
apartment  he  inhabited  in  his  father's  mansion  on 
the  Moika  Quay.  Ladies  were  present  at  the  festivity, 
but  except  the  three  above-named  participants  the 
names  of  the  other  guests  have  not  been  divulged. 
By  some  means  Rasputine,  who  had  become  very 
suspicious  of  late,  had  been  decoyed  into  accepting 
an  invitation  to  be  present.  Subsequently  his 
daughter  stated  that  her  father  had  been.  ver\^  eager 
to  go  to  the  party.  At  a  little  past  midnight  the 
staretz  was  fetched  in  a  motor  by  an  elegant  young 
man,  supposed  to  be  Prince  Youssoupoff.  A  lady 
was  waiting  for  them  in  the  car.  After  revelling  for 
some  hours,  during  which  the  libations  had  been 
very  generous,  when  most  of  the  guests  Had  left, 
at  about  six  in  the  morning,  shots  were  heard  coming 
from  the  Youssoupoff  Palace.  The  police  hurried 
up  to  enquire  the  reason  of  this  shooting,  but  were 
told  that  nothing  was  the  matter,  only  a  dog  having 
been  shot,  and  the  corpse  of  a  beautiful  retriever  was 
found  in  the  adjacent  garden. 

It  has  been  said  that  Prince  Youssoupoff' s  hand 
shook  in  aiming  the  pistol,  and  that  his  first  shot 
missed,  thus  giving  Rasputine  time  to  draw  his 
revolver  and  fire,  but  as  he  was  drunk  he  only 
succeeded  in  killing  the  dog.  Purishkevitch  then 
came  to  the  rescue,  and  the  general  impression  is 
that  his  shot  delivered  the  country  of  Rasputine. 
A  little  later  Rasputine' s  dead  body  was  carried  into 
a  motor-car,  which  stood  ready  waiting  before  the 
palace-portal.  Prince  Youssoupoff  stepped  inside, 
M.  Purishkevitch  took  the  place  of  the  chauffeur 


THE  END  OF  A  TRAITOR  99 

(the  Grand  Duke  Dmitry  Pavlovitch  had  gone  home), 
and  they  drove  to  the  islands  and  threw  the  body 
into  an  ice-hole  of  the  Nevka. 

The  news  of  Rasputine's  disappearance  caused  a 
tremendous  commotion.  The  Chief  of  the  Police 
was  in  the  last  stages  of  despair,  M.  Protopopoff 
on  the  verge  of  lunacy,  and  the  Court  circle  staggered. 
When  the  Empress  was  told,  she  was  speechless  with 
dismay. 

Her  first  words  proved  prophetic  : 

"  We  are  done  for,"  she  cried;  "  now  we  shall  also 
perish  !  " 

Her  Majesty  gave  imperative  orders  that 
Rasputine's  body  was  to  be  found,  and  for  several 
days  the  ice  was  broken  and  a  thorough  search 
instituted,  until  the  frozen  corpse  was  found  and 
identified.  By  the  order  of  the  Empress,  it  was 
carried  to  the  chapel  of  a  veteran  asylum  close  by. 
Madame  Vyrouboff  motored  over  from  Tzarskoe 
Selo  and  was  loud  in  her  lamentations.  Prayers  for 
his  soul  were  held  in  that  lady's  apartment  in  the 
presence  of  the  Empress,  her  daughters  and  some  of 
the  most  ardent  admirers  of  the  deceased.  The  body 
was  embalmed  and  sent  to  Tzarskoe  Selo,  where  it 
was  buried  in  a  remote  part  of  the  park.  The 
funeral  took  place  at  the  dead  of  night,  no  one  knew 
exactly  the  whereabouts  of  the  grave,  but  during  the 
days  of  the  Revolution  the  spot  was  discovered,  the 
grave  dug  up  and  the  coffin  taken  to  Petrograd, 
where  it  was  finally  burnt. 

During  those  ominous  days  the  following  telegrams 
were  sent  by  the  Empress  to  her  husband  in  the 
Stavka : — 


100      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 
December  13th,  three  days  before  the  murder  : 

Very  disturbed  not  to  know  details  of  rumours.  Remem- 
ber what  I  wrote  to  you  last  week. 

Alix. 

December  17th  an  urgent  wire  was  sent. 

Can  you  send  Woyeikoff  directly  ?  Need  his  advice 
conceming  our  friend  who  has  disappeared  since  last  night. 
We  continue  to  hope  in  the  mercy  of  God.  Felix  and  Dmitry 
mixed  up. 

Alix. 

December  17th  in  the  evening. 

K.*  does  all  that  is  possible.  Up  to  row  found  nothing. 
Felix  was  stopped  at  the  moment  of  startirg  for  the  Crimea. 
I  wish  you  were  here. 

Alix. 

December  i8th  in  the  morning. 

Nothing  is  known  until  now.  Questions  to  people  have 
availed  nothing.  It  is  to  be  feared  the  two  boys  have 
done  the  worst. 

Alix. 

December  18 th  in  the  evening. 

Give  orders  to  Maximovitch  to  forbid  Dmitry  in  your 
name  to  leave  the  house.  Dmitry  wished  to  see  me  to-day. 
I  refused.  We  are  especially  mixed  up.  Body  not  found 
yet. 

Alix. 

December  19th. 

Thanks  for  yesterday's  wire.    Found  in  the  river, 

Alix. 

♦  K.  stands  probably  for  General  KurloflE. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE  UPHEAVAL 

ON  the  third  day  after  Rasputine's  murder, 
the  Emperor  returned  from  Mohileff.  In 
Tzarskoe  Selo  all  was  confusion  and  con- 
sternation. Madame  Vyrouboff,  in  the  throes  of 
unconsolable  despair,  incited  the  Empress  to  wreak 
vengeance  on  the  authors  of  this  tragic  event.  Her 
Majesty's  distress  at  the  loss  of  a  devoted  friend 
was  mingled  with  dread  of  some  overhanging  calamity 
to  her  family,  for  she  was  convinced  that  in  some 
mysterious  way  Rasputine's  existence  was  inter- 
woven with  their  own  happiness. 

Instead  of  receiving  his  immediate  discharge  for 
not  having  foreseen  or  prevented  Rasputine's  violent 
death,  M.  Protopopoff  found  his  way  to  the  Empress's 
heart  by  the  desolation  he  manifested  at  the  terrible 
fate  of  the  staretz.  On  first  seeing  Her  Majesty 
he  fell  on  his  knees  exclaiming  :  "  What  a  loss  the 
countr}^  has  sustained,  the  wonderful  man  exists  no 
longer  !  "  This  rather  theatrical  way  of  tackling  the 
mournful  subject  was,  strangely  enough,  appreciated 
by  the  Empress,  and  she  clung  to  M.  Protopopoff 
as  to  a  legacy  left  by  the  departed. 

The  Emperor  had  his  hands  full.  He  was  harassed 
by  his  womenfolk.      The  Empress's  vindictiveness 

.      101 


102      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

found  full  scope.  She  insisted  on  the  Grand  Duke 
Dmitry  and  Prince  Youssoupoff  being  tried  by  court 
martial.  The  Empress  Marie,  on  the  other  hand, 
was  anxiously  interceding  for  the  culprits.  The 
Grand  Duke  was  by  the  Empress's  wish  put  under 
house-arrest,,  but  he  was  not  once  examined,  or  even 
questioned,  as  to  the  events  of  that  fatal  night,  and 
although  he  craved  an  audience,  both  from  the 
Emperor  and  the  Empress,  he  was  denied  an  inter- 
view. He  was  the  object  of  ovations  during  the 
days  of  his  arrest.  Everybody  who  was  anybody 
left  cards  at  his  palace,  and  his  numerous  friends, 
including  his  fellow- officers  of  the  Horse-Guards,* 
called  to  express  their  sympathy; 

The  Grand  Duke, told  the  Commander  of  the  Horse- 
Guards  that  he  thanked  God  that  his  hands  were 
stainless  of  bloodshed,  but  the  Empress  would  not 
listen  to  any  extenuating  circumstances  and,  ver^^ 
shortly  after  these  events,  the  Grand  Duke  was  sent 
to  the  Persian  front  and  forbidden  to  communicate 
with  anyone,  either  by  letter  or  telegram,  during  his 
journey.  The  Emperor's  adjutant,  Count  Koutais- 
seff,  was  to  accompany  him  to  his  journey's  end  and 
enforce  the  Imperial  Command. 

Prince  Youssoupoff  was  sent  to  his  estate  in  the 
Government  of  Kursk.  He  likewise  was  forbidden 
to  have  any  communication  with  the  outer  world, 
either  by  letter  or  telegram.  On  hearing  of  their 
son's  disgrace,  his  parents  hurried  to  join  him  and 
share  his  exile.  The  young  Princess  Irene  Yous- 
soupoff hastened  from  the  Crimea  and,  accompanied 
by  her  grandmother,  the  Dowager  Empress  Marie, 

*  The  Grand  Duke  Dmitry  Pavlovitch  is  an  officer  of  the  Horse-Guards. 


THE   GRAND   DUKE   DMITRY   PAVLOVITCH, 
WHO  WAS   SENT   TO   THE    PERSIAN     FRONT    BY   THE    EX- 
TZAR    FOR    BEING    MIXED    UP     IN     RASI'UTINE's     MURDER 


THE  UPHEAVAL  103 

arrived  at  the  country  seat  fixed  upon  for  her 
husband's  exile.  The  Dowager  Empress  Marie, 
after  a  short  stay  with  the  Youssoupoffs,  returned  to 
Kiev,  where  a  reassuring  telegram  of  the  Emperor 
awaited  her  : 

Thanks  for  telegram.     Prosecution  will  be  immediately 
stopixjcl.    Embrace  you. 

Nicky. 

Thus  of  the  three  alleged  participants  in  this 
political  murder,  the  only  one  that  was  left  free 
and  unm.olested  was  M.  Purishkevitch. 

The  exile  of  the  Grand  Duke  Dmitry  to  the  Persian 
front  produced  a  profound  impression  on  the 
members  of  the  Im.perial  Family.  They  were 
disgusted  with  the  Empress  for  insisting  upon  such 
severe  measures  with  a  young  man  whose  guilt  was 
not  proved,  whose  health  was  known  to  be  delicate 
and  unable  to  stand  the  Persian  climate.  A  joint 
letter  was  written  to  the  Tzar  and  signed  by  His 
Imperial  Highness's  grandmother,  the  Dowager 
Queen  Olga  of  Greece;  his  father,  the  Grand  Duke 
Paul ;  his  sister,  the  Grand  Duchess  Marie  Pavlovna, 
junior  ;  the  Tzar's  brother,  and  by  all  the  Grand 
Duchesses  and  Grand  Dukes  present. 

Written  in  a  conciliator}^  tone  the  letter  reminded 
the  Sovereign  of  the  affection  he  had  always  lavished 
on  his  cousin,  whose  guardian  he  had  been  and  who 
had  been  brought  up  under  his  care.  The  delicate 
state  of  his  health  was  pleaded,  and  the  hope  ex- 
pressed tha,t  His  Majesty  would  show  mercy  and  not 
leave  his  cousin  to  perish  in  a  climate  he  would  not  be 
able  to  stand. 


104      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

Two  or  three  days  passed  before  the  response  came, 
consisting  of  a  few  curt  words  : 

I  wonder  at  your  insistence,  aUhough  I  know  that  many 
of  you  are  guilty  likewise.  A  murder  can  not  be  left  un- 
punished. 

Three  days  after  Rasputine  was  killed  the  Grand 
Duke  Paul  returned  from  the  front  to  find  his  son 
arrested.  The  j^oung  man  gave  his  father  his 
solemn  word  of  honour  that  he  was  not  guilty  of  the 
murder,  and  the  Grand  Duke  proceeded  tp  the 
Palace  of  Tzarskoe  Selo  to  plead  his  son's  cause. 
The  Emperor  received  him  standing,  avoided  looking 
at  him  and  seemed  agitated.  Amongst  other  things 
the  Grand  Duke  asked  :  "  \\^at  are  you  doing  ? 
Where  are  you  leading  the  country  to  ?  It  is  time 
for  you  to  pull  yourself  together  and  put  a  stop  to 
this  ,  fatal  *  petticoat -government.' "  The  Tzar 
promised  to  release  Dmitry  Pavlovitch  from  arrest, 
but  the  next  day  the  Grand  Duke  received  the 
following  letter  : 

Dear  Friend  Paul, 

I  regret  not  to  be  able  to  release  Dmitry  from  under 
house-arrest  until  the  preliminary  enquiry  has  been  con- 
cluded. I  have  given  orders  for  it  to  be  hurried  on,  and  that 
Dmitry  should  be  carefully  guarded.  All  this  is  extremely 
hard  and  painful,  but  who  is  in  fault  that  he  got  mixed  up 
in  this  trouble  ?  I  pray  to  God  that  Dmitry  should  come  out 
honest  and  untarnished. 

Yours  in  heart, 

Nicholas. 

The  Grand  Duke  Nicholas  Michaelovitch  was  the 
next  member  of  the  Imperial  family  to  incur  dis- 
favour. He  wrote  a  separate  letter  to  the  Tzar, 
in  which  he  was  very  outspoken  and  unsparingly 


THE  UPHEAVAL  105 

accused  the  Empress  of  bringing  ruin  to  the  country 
and  to  the  Dynasty.  His  opinion  was  that  the 
only  solution  at  the  moment  would  be  a  divorce. 
"  Remember  the  fate  of  the  Emperor  Paul  "  was  his 
final  exhortation.  The  Sovereign  retaliated  by 
sending  Nicholas  Michaelovitch  for  two  months 
to  his  country  seat  in  the  Government  of  ICherson. 

The  existing  state  of  things  could  not  last : 
indignation  was  felt  in  all  ranks  of  society.  The 
strange  doings  at  Court  had  set  the  aristocracy 
and  the  most  devoted  monarchists  against  the 
Sovereigns.  The  people,  who  heard  the  most  garbled 
tales,  were  shaken  in  their  allegiance.  Displeasure 
and  distrust  reigned  in  the  army.  The  antagonistic 
feelings  towards  the  Monarch  and  his  Consort  were 
equally  shared  by  people  belonging  to  the  Right 
and  to  the  Left  parties.  But  the  Empress  would  not 
see  the  coming  danger,  and  her  confidence  blinded 
the  Tzar.  Things  were  bound  to  come  to  a  climax. 
His  estrangement  from  his  mother  was  a  heavy 
trouble  to  Nicholas  II,  the  more  so  that  he  forbore 
to  show  his  wife  the  extent  of  his  grief.  The  follow- 
ing are  the  telegrams  the  Dowager  Empress  received 
from  her  son  at  Christmas  and  on  New  Year's  day  : 

December  25th.  Very  "sad  not  to  be  together.  We  had 
a  small  tree  for  the 'children  Embrace  you  and  Olga 
fondly. 

Nicky. 

December  31st.  With  you  in  thought.  Hope  with  all 
my  heart  the  New  Year  will  bring  you  health  and  joy. 
Fond  embraces  for  j'ou  and  Olga. 

Nicky. 

His  wife's  and  children's  names,  as  may  be 
noticed,  are  not  included  in  these  festive  greetings. 


io6      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

New  Year's  day  passed  and  the  expected  discharge 
of  M.  Protopopoff  did  not  occur,  although  he  had 
a  hair -breadth  escape,  when  the  Prime  Minister 
Trepoff  came  to  the  Stavka  to  acquaint  the 
Sovereign  with  his  programme  for  *'  sa\'ing  the 
country."  The  Tzar  entirety  agreed  with  the  \dews 
M.  Trepoff  expounded. 

"  But,"  said  the  Minister  in  conclusion,  "  for  the 
welfare  of  the  country,  for  your  own  happiness,  I 
cannot  consent  to  be  at  the  helm  while  M.  Protopo- 
poff remains  Minister  of  the  Interior:" 

The  Tzar  looked  worried. 

"  But  what  am  I  to  do  with  him  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Give  him  his  discharge,"  was  tlie  reply. 

Visibly  impressed,  the  Tzar  reflected  for  a  few 
mom.ents,  then  stretching  out  his  hand  to  M.  Trepoff, 
he  replied  :   **  Let  it  be  as  j^ou  desire." 

The  Prime  Minister  left  the  Stavka  with  a  Ughtened 
heart,  but  he  lost  sight  of  the  fact  that  it  was  the 
Empress  Alexandra  and  her  camarilla  who  were  the 
rulers  of  Russia.  As  soon  as  M.  Protopopoff  heard 
of  his  impending  dismissal,  he  took  the  necessary 
steps  to  ensure  the  rumour  reaching  Madamic 
Vyrouboff.  The  necessary  wires  w'ere  immediately 
pulled,  and  M.  Protopopoff  retained  his  portfolio. 

M.  Trepoff  resigned  and  was  not  pressed  to  take 
back  his  resignation.  A  memxber  of  the  Upper 
Chamber,  Prince  Nicholas  Golitzine,  was  appointed 
to  succeed  him. 

No  one  could  have  been  more  sui*prised  at  this 
nomination  than  the  Prince  himself.  Upright  and 
honourable,  he  had  never  made  the  least  pretence 
of  being  a  statesman.     He  endeavoured  to  dissuade 


THE  UPHEAVAL  107 

the  Tzar,  and  frankly  owned  his  complete  incapacity 
for  filling  so  responsible  a  post. .  In  fact,  as  Prince 
Golitzine  told  a  friend,  if  anyone  else  had  disparaged 
him  in  a  similar  manner,  he  would  have  considered 
it  his  duty  to  knock  him  down.  But  nothing 
availed  and  he  was  obliged  to  accept. 

Prince  Golitzine  was  entirely  the  Empress 
Alexandra's  choice  ;  he  had  once  reported  to  her 
upon  some  matters  connected  with  the  Red  Cross. 
She  liked  his  soft,  unassuming  ways,  and  thought 
he  would  be  pliable  to  her  wishes.  Meanwhile 
M.  Protopopoff  was  doing  all  he  could  to  render 
himself  indispensable  to  the  Empress.  At  his 
suggestion  spiritualistic  sittings  were  arranged,  at 
which  Senator  iDobrovolsky,  the  last  Minister  of 
Justice  of  the  old  Government,  acted  as  medium. 
Rasputine's  spirit  was  evoked  and  consulted. 
Closely  examined  about  the  guests  present  on  that 
tragic  night  at  Prince  Youssoupoff's  supperparty, 
the  spirit  named  Madame  Derfelden  (the  step-sister 
of  the  Grand  Duke  Dmitry  Pavlovitch)  and  insisted 
on  her. being  arrested.  That  was  sufficient.  The 
next  day  Madame  Derfelden  was  apprised  that  she 
was  forbidden  to  leave  her  house.  Her  apartment 
was  searched,  all  her  letters  taken,  but  nothing 
compromising  was  found.  Her  arrest  lasted  about 
a  fortnight. 

The  Duma  was  to  reopen  its  sessions  on  February 
14th,  o/s,  1917.  It  was  rumoured  that  the  re- 
opening would  be  indefinitely  postponed,  in  which 
case  a  huge  strike  was  to  be  retaliation.  It  was  like- 
wise expected  that  the  workmen  would  arrange  a 
[great   demonstration  before  the   Duma.     But   the 


io8      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

reopening  took  place  on  the  day  fixed.  The  gallery 
and  the  diplomatic  loge  were  crammed  with  auditors, 
who  were  doomed  to  disappointment  as  the  session 
was  extremely  dull.  Prince  Golitzine  did  not  make 
any  declaration,  and  most  of  the  speeches  were 
moderate  to  dull,  the  whole  interest  centring  on  the 
Minister  of  Agriculture,  M.  Rittich's  brilliant 
oration,  about*  the  supply  of  food,  for  the  army  and 
the  country.  M.  Purishkevitch  appeared  the  next 
day  and  made  an  incendiary  speech  upbraiding  the 
Government  and  accusing  the  Ministers. 

The  air  was  full  of  electricity.  People  foresaw 
that  something  would  happen.  It  was  feared  that 
Rasputine's  murder  was  not  sufficient,  that  another 
tragedy  would  follow.  The  Empress  continued  to 
repulse  every  friend  or  partisan,  and  was  steadily 
sowing  the  seeds  of  hatred  amongst  her  husband's 
subjects,  especially  among  the  army,  where  the  most 
bewildering  tales  were  spread  of  her  predilection  foir 
the  Germans  and  her  prejudice  against  the  Russians. 
On  her  visits  to  the  war  hospitals,  her  attitude  called 
forth  the  most  bitter  feelings  of  animosity  ;  indeed 
these  hostile  sentiments  had  of  late  been  so  manifest, 
that  Her  Majesty  ceased  them,  and  even  suspended 
her  daily  visits  to  the  Court  hospitals  in  Tzarskoe 
Sloe. 

When  the  Empress  entered  a  ward,  she  nodded 
her  head  stiffly,  a  forbidding  look  on  her  set  face. 
She  seldom  addressed  anyone,  but  in  exceptional 
cases,  her  repertory  of  questions  was  invariably  the 
same  :  **  At  what  battle  were  you  wounded  ?  " 
"  Which  part  of  your  body  is  hurt  ?  "  "  Does  it 
give  you  niuch  pain  ?  "     These  visits  were  always  a 


THE  UPHEAVAL  109 

source  of  disappointment  to  the  wounded  warriors. 
Her  coldness  stabbed  them  more  cruelly  than  the 
sharpest  weapon  of  the  enemy.  Her  aloofness  they 
were  convinced  was  the  outcome  of  the  contempt  she 
felt  for  them. 

On  one  occasion  there  was  a  painful  scene.  The 
Empress  asked  a  soldier  where  he  had  been  wounded. 
The  soldier  happened  to  be  garrulous  and  entered 
into  details  of  how  they  had  put  the  enemy  to 
flight. 

"  Which  regiment  was  it  ?  "  queried  the  Tzaritza. 

"  The  Hessians,  Your  Majesty." 

"  The  Hessians  never  flee  before  the  enemy  !  " 
remarked  the  Empress  haughtily.  Then,  pale  with 
wrath,  her  lips  compressed,  she  walked  out  of  the 
ward,  leaving  every orre  in  consternation.  The 
miserable  soldier  burst  into  tears,  and  agitation 
reigned  in  the  ward.  Nearly  every  patient  had  to 
receive  a  sedative  to  soothe  him  from  the  effects  of 
the  Empress's  dramatic  departure. 

A  disagreeable  incident  occurred  in  August,  1916, 
in  Her  Majesty's  own  hospital  for  officers.  Rasputine 
liked  to  visit  the  hospitals  and  talk  to  the  soldiers, 
but  the  officers  detested  him  and  considered  his 
presence  an  intrusion.  The  Empress  knew  this,  but 
paid  no  lieed.  On  this  particular  day  Rasputine 
announced  his  intention  of  visiting  the  officers' 
hospital.  Some  of  the  courtiers  tried  to  dissuade 
him  from  his  purpose,  but  he  insisted.  Madame 
Vyrouboff  accompanied  him,  showing  him  over  the 
different  wards.  But  the  officers  decided  to  treat 
the  unwelcome  guest  with  silent  contempt.  Those 
who  were  convalescent  went  out  into  the  garden,  the 


no      THE  FALL  QF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

others  pretended  to  be  asleep.  This  mute  greeting 
incensed   Rasputine   and   he   remarked   spitefully  : 

"  They  lie  there  as  if  they  were  dead:  well,  dead 
they  soon  will  be  !  " 

One  of  the  causes  of  the  wounded  warriors'  dis- 
pleasure with  the  Empress  was  that  Her  Majesty 
spoke  German  in  their  presence  with  one  of  the 
doctors.  This  infraction  of  the  established  rules 
excited  the  soldiers'  bitter  indignation  ;  for  boards 
were  put  up  in  all  public  places,  bearing  the  legend, 
"  One  is  requested  not  to  speak  German." 

The  young  Grand  Duchesses,  however,  continued 
their  daily  visits  to  the  different  hospitals,  talking 
gaily  with  the  officers  and  soldiers ;  but  never 
touching  on  any  war  episode,  the  topic  nearest  to 
every  warrior's  heart.  One  day,  it  was  just  before 
Roumania  joined  the  Allies,  one  of  the  officers  was 
bold  enough  to  put  some  questions  alluding  to  this 
event.  The  Gra,nd  Duchess  Tatiana  (her  mother's 
favourite  daughter)  got  very  red  and  answered 
with  some  confusion :  "  Mamma  has  forbidden  us  to 
speak  about  the  war  with  j^ou."  Another  time,  in 
answer  to  some  disparaging  remark  about  the 
Germans,  the  same  Tatiana  remonstrated  :  "  You 
must  not  forget  Mamma  is  a  German." 

During  the  concerts  given  periodically  in  hospitals, 
the  Empress  made  a  perfunctory  appearance, 
entering  without  looking  at  anyone,  and  going 
straight  to  her  chair  in' the  first  row.  After  half  an 
hour's  staj^  she  would  retire  in  just  the  same  manner, 
without  having  spoken  to  anyone.  This  treatment 
gave  great  offence  and  was  taken  for  disdain.  The 
Empress  would  unflinchingly  render  the  most  menial 


THE  UPHEAVAL  iii 

service  to  a  wounded  man,  but  she  would  never  give 
him  a  smile,  or  gladden  him  with  a  kind  word,  yet 
it  was  the  smile  and  the  graciousness  that  would  have 
been  appreciated,  and  would  have  made  the  men 
her  devoted  slaves  for  life. 

Shortly  after  Rasputine  was  killed,  the  day  was 
fixed  for  the  annual  Christmas  Concert  in  the 
hospital  of  the  youngest  Grand  Duchess,  Anastasia 
Nicolaievna.  The  Tzar's  daughters,  who  led  a 
secluded  existence,  seeing  little  of  the  enjoj^ment  of 
life,  were  always  delighted  to  attend  these  musical 
evenings,  and  the  wounded  -warriors  appreciated 
their  presence  and  liked  to  watch  their  approval  of 
the  performance.  The  senior  Sister  of  Mercy 
apprised  the  Grand  Duchess  on  the  telephone  of  the 
day  and  hour,  expressing  -the  hope  that  she  and  her 
sisters  would  honour  the  concert  with  their  presence. 
"We  shall  be  delighted  to  com-C,"  was  the  ingenuous 
reply,  "only  I  must  ask  Mamma's  permission."  A 
little  later  a  tearful  voice  was  heard  through  the 
receiver:  "Mamma  says  we  have  our  own  grief, 
and  that  tliis  is  not  the  time  for  pleasure."  The 
soldiers'  gratification  was  sacrificed  to  Rasputine's 
memory  I 

Some  time  prior  to  these  events,  an  eminent 
French  surgeon.  Dr.  C —  returned  to  Petrograd,  after 
tvv'enty-two  months  spent  in  German  captivity. 
The  doctor  was  invited  to  Tzarskoe  Selo,  and  received 
a  most  gracious  v»^elcome  from  the  Tzar.  The 
Empress,  who  was  present  at  the  interview,  did  not 
depart  from  her  usual  dignified  stiffness.  In  the 
course  of  the  conversation  over  a  cup  of  tea,  the 
Tzar  plied  the  surgeon  with  questions  concerning  the 

H 


112      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

hardships  endured.  The  Empress  did  not  break  her 
rigid  silence. 

"  Tell  me  honestly,  Doctor,"  queried  the  Emperor, 
in  which  country  are  our  prisoners  treated  the  most 
rigorously  ?  In  Germany,  Austria,  Turkey,  or 
Bulgaria  ?  " 

"  In  Germany,  Sire— there  can  be  no  doubt  about 
the  question." 

"  I  knew  beforehand  what  the  answer  would  be," 
scornfully  remarked  the  Empress  in  English,  mis- 
takenly thinking  the  worthy  Frenchman  did  not 
understand  the  language. 

When  the  sisters  of  mercy  returned  from  their 
inspection  of  the  concentration  camps  of  Russian 
prisoners,  they  were  received  in  Tzarskoe  Selo  by  the 
Empress  Alexandra.  She  listened  austerely  to  the 
melancholy  report  of  Sister  Schenkevitch,  but  did 
not  seem  affected  at  the  recital  of  the  misery  endured 
by  our  captive  soldiers.  Madame  vSchenkevitch 
complained  that  the  parcels  sent  to  them  from  home 
were  not  delivered. 

"  What  can  be  done,  the  distance  is  so  great  ?  " 
remarked  the  Empress  indifferently. 

"  But' the  parcels  sent  from  Austria  and  Germany 
reach  their  destination,"  observed  the  sister  depre- 
catingly. 

"  Thfe  Austrians  and  the  Germans  are  likewise 
human  beings,"  was  Her  Majesty's  sneering  retort- 

"  Still,"  rejoined  the  sister  with  spirit,  "  the 
English  and  French  Governments  have  found  means 
to  ensure  the  safe  delivery  of  the  things  they  send 
to  their  captive  soldiers." 

An    angry    flush    suffused     Her    Majesty's    face, 


THE  UPHEAVAL  113 

and,  after  a  few  unmeaning  words,  she  closed  the 
interview. 

The  sister's  urgent  request  that  a  detachment  of 
Russian  nurses  and  a  priest  be  sent  to  each  con- 
centration camp  was  disregarded.  On  leaving  the 
Palace  the  sisters  wept  with  mortification. 

In  Kiev  these  sisters  of  mercy  received  a  delightful 
welcome  from  the  Dowager  Empress.  She  listened 
with  tears  in  her  eyes  to  the  account  of  all  the 
misery  and  painful  scenes  they  had  witnessed.  Her 
Majesty  was  begged  to  use  her  influence  that  an 
army  chaplain  and  Russian  sisters  to  be  sent  out 
to  relieve  the  spiritual  and  physical  needs  of  the 
captives.  The  Dowager  Empress  looked  very  sad. 
"  I  would  do  anything,"  she  said,  "  to  bring  comfort 
to  those  unhappy  prisoners,  but  I  have  no  power; 
I  can  do  nothing  !  " 

On  December  26th  a  strange  accident  happened, 
which  gave  rise  to  the  most  extravagant  rumour 
being  repeated  from  mouth  to  mouth.  The  Empress, 
after  a  long  interval,  went  to  her  own  hospital  to 
distribute  the  Christmas  presents.  She  was  sitting 
before  a  table  strewn  with  all  kinds  of  things  and 
neatly  made  up  parcels.  Madame  Vyrouboff  stood 
behind  her.  Each  officer  appro  iched,  took  his 
present  from  Her  Majesty's  h^nd,  bowed  low  and 
withdrew,  making  room  for  the  next  recipient. 

About  noon  an  officer  entered  from  a  side  door, 
bowed  low  to  the  Empress,  and  retreating  a  few 
steps  suddenly  fired  his  revolver,  hitting  Madame 
.Vyrouboff  in  the  palm  of  her  left  hand,  which  was 
shot  through.  The  Empress  jumped  up,  put  her 
arm  round  her  wounded  friend,  and  thus  supporting 


IT4      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

her,  left  the  room,  without  even  an  ej^clamation 
having  passed  her  lips.  The  hall  filled  with  officers 
and  hospital  attendants  ;  the  culprit  was  detained, 
but  he  steadfastly  denied  his  guilt,  saying  it  was  an 
accident.  After  some  deliberation,  the  officer  was 
set  free,  but  he  was  sent  out  of  Tzarskoe  Selo. 

Some  people  maintained  that  the  culprit  was 
no  officer,  but  a  political  enemy  of  the  Sovereign, 
who  had  put  on  uniform  to  get  into  her  presence. 
His  ultimate  fate  was  the  subject  of  various  con- 
jectures. It  is  difficult  to  believe  that  the  attempt 
was  an  accident,  but  was  it  meant  to  kill  the  Empress, 
or  Madame  Vyrouboff  ?  The  affair  was  hushed  up, 
although  every  inhabitant  of  Tzarskoe  Selo  heard 
about  the  incident  an  hour  aher  its  occurrence, 
and  from  there  the  news  spread  like  wild-fire  all 
over  Petrograd  and  Moscow.  A  few  days  subse- 
quently the  Empress  received  a  typed  letter  full 
of  the  most  determined  threats,  including  a  vulgar 
•.  caricature  of  Rasputine.  All  type-writers  thereupon 
were  removed  from  the  hospitals,  and  from  that 
day  the  Em^press  entirely  ceased  her  visits  to  the 
wounded.  At  the  time,  it  was  said  that  Count 
Fredericks  insisted  upon  her  keeping  away  from  the 
Court  hospitals. 

About  this  time  the  Grand  Duchess  Victoria 
Feodorovna  returned  to  Petrograd  from  Yassy, 
where  she  had  been  staying  with  her  sister,  the 
Queen  Marie  of  Roumania.  She  asked  for  an 
audience  with  the  Emperor,  and  in  the  course  of 
conversation  touched  upon  the  intense  unpopularity 
of  the  Empress  with  the  army,  because  of  the  German 
policy  she  was  credited  with  fostering.    The  Tzar 


THE  UPHEAVAL  115 

fired  up,  taking  up  the  cudgels  in  defence  of  his 
wife  : 

"  What  has  Alix  got  to  do  with  politics  ?  She 
is  a  sister  of  mercy,  devoted  to  the  wounded,  whom 
she  nurses  with  rare  self-abnegation.  She  receives 
heaps  of  letters,  expressing  .  heartfelt  gratitude. 
You  are  quite  mistaken,  Alix  is  highly  esteemed  by 
the  people." 

It  is  truly  said  that  there  are  none  so  blind  as 
those  that  will  not  see  ;  none  so  deaf  as  those  that 
will  not  hear. 

The  Tzar  left  Petrograd  a  few  days  after  the 
reopening  of  the  Duma,  proceeding  direct  to  Head- 
quarters. The  Tzessarevitch  did  not  accompany 
him  this  time.  His  little  friend,  the  cadet  Makaroff, 
who  had  been .  invited  to  spend  the  Christmas 
vacation  in  'Tzarskoe  Selo,  had  sickened  with 
measles,  and  it  was  feared  that  the  Heir  might  have 
caught  the  infection.  The  conjecture  proved  true ; 
for  in  the  course  of  a  few  days  the  Tzessarevitch 
was  taken  seriously  ill.  He  was  separated  from  his 
sisters,  but  although  all  precautions  were  taken, 
the  four  Grand  Duchesses,  as  well  as  Madame 
Vyrouboff,  all  took  the  disease. 

The  strikes  commenced  on  February  21,  o/s. 
Three  days  later  they  developed  into  revolutionary 
manifestations.  On  the  24th  the  tramway  communi- 
cation was  stopped,  and  from  the  25th  no  newspapers 
were  issued.  Long  processions  carrying  red  flags 
filed  down  the  principal  streets  clamouring  for  bread. 
The  disturbances  had  originated  because,  according 
to  a  recent  arrangement,  bread  was  sold  only  at 
certain   hours,    and   the   customers   were   admitted 


ii6      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

into  the  shop  by  turns.  Until  their  turn  came  they 
had  to  stand  outside  forming  long  queues  of  half- 
frozen  creatures,  waiting  sometimes  for  over  two 
hours  in  the  bitter  cold  to  get  a  few  pounds  of  bread. 
It  was  quite  revolting,  and  proved  a  deplorable  want 
of  organisation,  for  we  had  bread  and  continue  to 
have  it  in  abundance.     ' 

People  of  experience,  who  occasionally  had  glimpses 
behind  the  scenes,  state  that  these  superfluous  and 
fatal  queues,  as  if  famine  was  staring  us  in  the  face, 
entered  into  the  plans  of  MM.  Stiirmer,  Protopopoff 
and  Co.  They  meant  to  exasperate  the  people  and 
provoke  riots  with  loud  cries  for  "  Peace."  This 
would  have  facilitated  their  course  of  action  and 
enabled  them  to  put  forward  "  the  unanimous  will 
of  the  nation "  as  ah  imperative  reason  for  the 
conclusion  of  a  separate  peace.  On  the  26th  February 
the  disturbances  took  on  a  decidedly  political 
colouring. 

Notwithstanding  the  prevailing  conviction  for 
weeks  previously  that  ominous  events  were  ap- 
proaching, and  the  obvious  proofs  that  the  revolu- 
tionary preparations  were  being  feverishly  pushed 
on,  the  arrangements  of  resistance  and  defence 
on  the  part  of  the  Government  were  preposterously 
inadequate.  The  Commander  of  the  Petrograd 
Military  circuit.  General  Khabaloff,  a  man  without 
either  daring,  initiative  or  energy,  delayed  all 
attempts  to  subdue  the  insurgents,  until  they  had 
organized  their  forces  to  threatening  proportions. 

For  some  incomprehensible  reason  M.  Protopopoff 
had  gained  the  reputation  of  extraordinary  strength 
of  purpose,  and  his  skill  was  relied  upon  to  suppress 


THE  UPHEAVAL  iiy 

the  insurrection  ;  l?ut  when  the  cUmax  came,  M. 
Protopopoff  proved  a  broken  reed.  His  plan  con- 
sisted of  spreading  a  network  of  machine-guns  all 
over  the  city  :  on  the  roofs  of  houses,  in  lumber- 
rooms,  in  lofts,  attics  and  all  kinds  of  unthinkable 
places,  ordering  the  police,  when  the  time  came,  to 
shoot  from  these  ambushes.  But  what  could  these 
shots  do  against  the  combined  forces  of  armed  work- 
men and  soldiers,  except  bring  down  vengeance  on 
the  unfortunate  police,  who  after  all  were  only 
obeying  orders. 

In  a  few  hours  the  police  were  destroyed,  their 
chief.  General  Balk,  arrested  and  the  subaltern 
officers  and  policemen  either  massacred  or  im- 
prisoned. When  the  regiments  were  ordered  to 
march  against  the  workmen,  they  refused  to  move 
and  turned  their  rifles  against  their  commanders, 
and  those  officers  who  wanted  to  prevent  their 
joining  the  forces  of  the  workmen.  One  regiment 
after  another  went  over  to  the  Revolutionists.  Such 
regiments  as  the  Preobrajensky's,  the  Semenovsky, 
the  Ismailobsky,  the  Votynsky,  etc.,  openly  declared 
themselves  as  partisans  of  the  Revolution.  When  he 
saw  he  had  no  control  over  his  men,  the  commander 
of  the  Semenovsky  regiment  shot  himself.  The 
colonel  of  the  Volynsky  regiment  was  killed  by  his. 
own  soldiers.  Some  terrible  tragedies  were  enacted 
in  these  days  of  violence  and  horror.  Fortunately 
the  Duma  intervened. 

The  last  act  of  the  old  Government  had  been  the 
dissolving  of  the  Duma  on  February  25th  until 
sometime  in  April.  The  members  of  the  Duma 
were  considered  victims  of  the  tyrannical  Government, 


ii8      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

and  the  insurgents  willingly  -accepted  the  lead  of 
M.  Rodzianko  (the  president),  and  of  several  other 
members.  This  prevented  a  great  deal  of  bloodshed, 
and  kept  the  mobs  from  the  arrested  Ministers,  who 
otherwise  would  have  been  lynched.  All  those  who 
were  arrested  were  brought  to  the  Tauride  Palace  and 
incarcerated"  in  the  Ministers'  Pavilion,  whence  later 
on  they  were  transferred  to  the  Fortress  of  St.  Peter 
and  St.  Paul. 

The  Tribunal  on  the  Liteyny  was  burnt  to  the 
ground,  many  of  the  magistrates  escaping  only  with 
their  lives.  The  headquarters  of  the  secret  police 
and  several  police  stations  were  burnt 'down,  many 
Crown  buildings  and  private  mansions  w^ere  also 
burnt,  sacked  and  pillaged.  The  military  Hotel 
Astoria  was  completely  demolished,  the  beautiful 
mansion  of  Count  Fredericks  entirely  destroyed,' 
with  all  the  lovely  artistic  furniture  and  priceless 
collections  it  contained.  No  palace  was  touched, 
except  the  one  belonging  to  the  Grand  Duchess 
Marie  Pavlovna,  where  the  wine-cellar  was  broken 
into  and  rare  old  wines,  worth  about  a  million 
roubles,  destroyed. 

Ill  the  first  flush  of  triumph  the  insurgents  did  a 
very  foolisli  thing,  which  they  regretted  when  it  was 
too  late.  They  opened  all  the  prison  doors  and  let 
out  swarms  of  prisoners,  instead  of  liberating  only 
the  political  captives.  It  happened  ■  that  the 
prisons  contained  comparatively  few  political 
delinquents,  but  numbers  of  burglars,  and  dangerous 
thieves  and  hooligans.  Thousands  of  them  were  let 
loose  on  the  town  at  a  time  when  they  need  have  no 
fear  of  the  police.     Masquerading  as  soldiers,  they 


COUNT    IKKDKKICKS,    MINISTKR    OK    THE    IMriiKIAI.   COl'RT 


THE  UPHEAVAL  119 

were  responsible  for  many  acts  of  robbery,  pillage 
and  even  murder.  M.  Rodzianko  and  M.  Gutchkoff 
telegraphed  to  the  Tzar,  informing  him  of  what  was 
going  on,  but  though  the  first  message  reached 
His  Majesty,  General  Woyeikoffhad,  thought  fit  to 
suppress  the  second,  in  spite  of  its  urgency. 

The  Palace  of  Tzarskoe  Selo  during  those  days  of 
anxiety  was  practically  a  hospital.  The  Tzessare- 
vitch  was  very  ill,  and  his  temperature  so  high  that 
at  one  time  his  life  was  in  danger  and  the  report 
of  his  death  was-  circulated.  The  two  elder  Grand 
Duchesses  were  in  bed,  and  the  youngest,  Anastasia, 
was  sickening  for  measles.  Only  the  third  daughter, 
Marie,  was  well ;  she  was  the  last  to  develop  the 
illness,  and  her  case  was  a  very'  severe  one.  The 
position  was  dramatic  in  the  extreme. 

On  the  morning  of  February  25th,  the  Empress 
sent  a  telegram  to  the  Tzar  about  the  health  of  the 
children  and  Madame  Vyrouboff,  ending  : 

Until  now  everj'thirg  is  quiet  in  towTi  to-day.' 

Alix. 

On  the  same  day  in  the  evening  Her  Majesty 

wired  : 

Not  at  all  well  in  tov/n.  To  avoid  false  rumours,  I  want 
the  old  man*  to  announce  officially  that  three  of  the  children 
are  taken  ill  v/ith  measles,  and  that  the  illness  is  taking  its 
normal  course.  Alix. 

February  26th,  in  the  morning,  another  telegram 

was  sent  containing  information  about  the  children 

and  Madame  Vyrouboff's  health,  concluding  with 

the  ominous  words  : 

Very  anxious  about  the  town. 

Alix. 
*  The  Empress  means  Count  Fredericks. 


120      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

That  same,  evening  the  following  telegram,  ob- 
viously in  English  cipher,  was  sent : 

Unicode  vicinia  vicissim  continue.  Vesras  weak  seems 
affore  cadmites  better  quickly  for  two  days,  think  vetulus 
necessary  veretrum  weak. 

The  words  "vicissim,"  "vesras,"  '^vetulus"  and 
"  veretrum  "  were  private  code  words  between  the 
ex-Empress  and  the  ex-Emperor.  The  message 
as  clearly  as  it  can  be  decoded  ran  :  "  Vicissim 
(?  revolutionary  outbreaks)  continue.  Vesras  (some 
minister  or  official)  wishes  to  see  you.  What  date 
do  you  arrive  ?  Better  quickly  for  two  days. 
Think  vetulus  (?  some  measure  to  suppress  the 
revolutionary  outbreaks)  or  strong  man  necessary. 
Veretrum  (?  some  minister  or  official)  weak. 

Again  on  February  27th,  in  the  morning,  she  wired : 

The  revolution  has  attained  terrifying  dimensions  since 
yesterday.  Aware  that  other  parts  have  joined.  News 
worse  than  ever. 

Alix. 

The  same  day  two  hours  later  : 

Concessions  indispensable.  Strikes  continue.  Great  part 
of  the  troops  gone  over  to  the  revolutionists. 

Alix. 

February  27th,  evening  : 

Lili  has  speat  the  day  here  and  has  stayed  the  night 
No  motors  or  carriages.    The  Tribunal  is  on  fire. 

Alix. 

Till  then  everything  had  been  calm  enough  in 
Tzarskoe  Selo,  but  on  February  28th  the  soldiers  of 
the  garrison  marched  up  to  the  Guildhall  and  de- 
clared their  intention  of  joining  the  revolutionary 
movement.     A    gathering  was    held  in  the   Town 


THE  UPHEAVAL  121 

Hall ;  representatives  of  the  nobility,  the  Zemstvo, 
delegates  of  officers  and  likewise  of  the  revolted 
garrison  were  present.  The  Commandant  of  the 
Palace,  Prince  Poutiatine,  was  present  at  the  meet- 
ing, and  assured  everyone  of  his  sympathy  with  the 
Revolutionists  and  his  Liberal  views.  His  declaration 
was  coldly  listened  to,  but  he  was  left  unmolested. 
He  returned  to  the  Palace,  which  soon  afterwards, 
was  surrounded  by  troops,  and  the  servants  warned 
that  if  a  shot  were  fired  the  Palace  would  be  bom- 
barded with  cannon. 

The  Empress  came  out  to  them  stern  and  collected : 
"  I  beg  you  not  to  shoot,"  she  said,  "  my  children 
are  very  ill.  I  am  here  only  in  the  capacity  of  their 
nurse."  With  these  words  and  a  haughty  bow 
she  withdrew.  Her  words  were  taken  as  implying 
•surrender,  and  not  a  shot  was  fired.  Later  in  the 
day  the  Empress  sent  for  the  Grand  Duke  Paul, 
and  begged  him  to  go  to  the  Front  and  fetch  people 
devoted  to  them.  "We  must  save  the  Empire 
above  all.  things,"  she  said.  "The  Throne  is  in 
danger,"  but  the  Grand  Duke  declined  the  errand, 
convinced  of  its  uselessness. 

A  manifesto,  granting  a  complete  Constitutional 
Government,  with  a  responsible  Cabinet,  was  in 
the  interim  being  composed  in  the  Palace  of  the 
Grand  Duke.  The  Tzar  was  to  sign  it,  and  mean- 
while the  signatures  of  his  brother  Michael,  his 
uncle  Paul,  and  his  cousin  Cyril,  were  affixed. 
This  manifesto  was  sent  to  the  Duma  and  delivered 
to  M.  Miliukoff.  After  this  had  been  done  the 
Grand  Duke  Paul  went  to  the  Empress.  It  was  the 
ist  of  March,  o/s. 


122      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

**  Where  is  my  husband  ?  Is  he  alive  ?  "  was  the 
greeting  of  Her  Majesty.  "  What  is  to  be  done 
to  settle  the  disturbance  ?  " 

The  Grand  Duke  informed  her  of  the  contents  of  the 
manifesto  and  she  approved  of  them.  Two  days 
later  the  Grand  Duke  came  to  tell  her  of  the  Tzar's 
abdication.  The  Empress  was  in  complete  ignor- 
ance. His  Imperial  Highness  shov\-ed  her  a*  printed 
news-sheet  issued  by  the  Revolutionary  Com- 
mittee, which  contained  the  manifesto  of  Nicholas 
11 's  renouncement  of  the  Throne. 

"  I  don't  believe  it,"  exclaimed  Her  Majesty, 
"it  is  all  lies,  newspaper  inventions.  I  believe 
in  God  and  in  the  Armiy  !  " 

But,  alas  !  Alexandra  Feodorovna  was  mistaken 
in  her  faith,  for  God  had  turned  away  and  the 
army  had  betrayed  them  ! 


GKNERAI.    WOYKIKOKK 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE   TZAR  ABDICATES 

■^HE  Tzar  had  left  Headquarters  on  Feb- 
ruary 28th,  and  was  hurr^dng  to  Tzarskoe 
Selo.  He  was  accompanied  by  Count 
Fredericks,  General  Woyeikoff,  Admiral  Niloff, 
General  Narishkine,  Colonel  Mordvinoff,  and  his 
usual  attendants  ;  but  the  Imperial  train  was  pre- 
vented from  reaching  Tzarskoe  Selo  and,  after  being 
shunted  on  to  a  branch  line,  proceeded  to  Pskov. 
This  enforced  change  of  plans  painfully  impressed 
the  Sovereign. 

"  What  is  to  be  done  ?  "  he  asked  in  perplexity. 

"  Open  the  front  of  Minsk  to  the  Germans," 
proposed  General  Woyeikoff,  "  and  let  their  troops 
repress  the  Revolutionists." 

"  No,  I  would  never  betray  my  country,"  remarked 
the  Tzar. 

On  the  platform  at  Pskov,  General  Russky  m.et  the 
train.  The  Tzar  was  looking  strained  and  worried, 
and  the  General  gathered  from  his  expression  that 
he  knew  the  worst. 

"  I  have  decided  to  grant  a  responsible  Ministry," 
were  his  first  words  after  the  usual  greeting. 
•  General  Russky  did  not  venture  to  express  his 
opinion  that  the  mom.ent  had  passed  for  sucli  measure, 

123 


124      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

so  he  said  nothing.  The  Emperor  was  expecting  the 
visit  of  the  President  of  the  Duma,  who  had  promised 
to  come  to  Pskov.  .  In  the  meantime  the  General 
called  .up  M.  Rodzianko  on  the  telephone  and,  after 
hearing  of  the  gigantic  strides  the  Revolution  was 
making,  he  telegraphed  to  the  Grand  Duke  Nicholas 
and  to  all  the  army  leaders.  Each  replied  that  in 
his  opinion  the  onty  thing  the  Tzar  could  do  at  the 
present  moment  was  to  abdicate. 

At  ten  o'clock  the  next  morning  General  Russky 
presented  himself  before  the  Tzar  with  the  report 
of  what  he  had  heard  from  M.  Rodzianko,  the  Grand 
Duke  Nicholas  and  Generals  Alexeieff,  Brussiloff 
and  Ewert.  The  Tzar  listened  with  grave  attention, 
manifesting  no  outward  sign  of  emotion,  except  a 
slight  twitching  of  the  lips  and  the  nervous  pulling 
of  his  moustache. 

**  I  am  ready  to  renounce  the  Throne,"  he  said ; 
"  but  I  should  like  to  do  so  in  the  presence  of  M. 
Rodzianko." 

When  the  General  informed  him  that  M.  Rodzianko 
was  not  coming  to  Pskov,  the  Tzar  seemed  to  lose 
his  last  illusion.  After  this  he  became  very  silent, 
and  spent  most  of  the  day  and  part  of  the  night  in 
drawing  up  manifestos.  The  one  conceding  a 
responsible  Ministry  being  useless,  it  was  succeeded 
by  two  others  :  one  in  favour  of  the  Tzessarevitch 
Alexis,  the  other  in  favour  of  his  brother  Michael. 
In  the  intervals  the  Tzar  walked  about  the  station 
enclosure,  fearlessly  leaving  the  train,  without 
anyone  of.  the  suite  accompanying  him,  walking 
up  and  down  the  platform  in  deep  thought. 

At  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening  of  March  2nd  His 


THE  TZAR  ABDICATES  125 

Majesty  was  informed '  that  two  members   of  the 
Duma,  M.  Gutchkoff  and  M.  Schulguine,  had  arrived 
•  and  wished  to  speak  to  him. 

The  following  is  an  account  of  M.  vSchulguine's 
description  of  the  inter\'iew  :  "  The  necessity  of  the 
Tzar's  abdication  was  unanimously  recognized,  only 
the  putting  of  this  resolution  into  execution  had  been 
delayed.  M.  Gutchkoff  and  I  decided  to  go  to 
Pskov,  where  according  to  intelligence  received,  the 
Emperor  had  stopped.  We  arrived  at  10  o'clock 
in  the  evening,  intending  to  have  a  preliminary 
interview  with  General  Russky,  who  was  apprised  of 
our  arrival.  As  soon  as  our  train  "stopped,  however, 
one  of  the  Tzar's  adjutants  entered  our  compartment, 
with  the  intimation  that  His  Majesty  was  expecting 
us. 

"  I  felt  extremely  nervous,  and  the  fact  that  I 
should  have  to  enter  the  presence  of  the  Sovereign, 
unshaven,  dishevelled,  without  the  possibility  of 
changing  my  clothes,  made  me  uncomfortable,  even 
at  such  an  important  moment.  As  we  entered  the 
saloon-carriage,  the  Emperor  rose  courteously  and 
shook  hands  with  each  of  us,  looking  perfectly  calm 
and  collected.  Count  Fredericks,  General  Russky, 
General  Woyeikoff  and  a  general  whose  name  I  do 
not  know,*  were  present. 

"  The  Tzar  asked  us  to  be  seated,  M.  Gutchkoff 
began  to  speak,  I  was  a  silent  witness  of  this  historical 
scene.  I  must  confess  I  was  afraid  that  Gutchkoff 
would  be  harsh  and  pitiless  in  his  words  to  the  Tzar, 
but  that  was  not  the  case.  Gutchkoff  spoke  lengthily 
— well,  and  even   eloquently.     The   past   was   not 

*  Probablv  General  Narishkine. 


126      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

touched  upon  at  all,  he  endeavoured  only  to  point 
out  what  an  abyss  we  had  come  to.  He  spoke 
without  looking  at  the  Sovereign,  his  right  hand 
leaning  on  the  table.  He  did  not  see  His  Majesty's 
face  and  I  suppose  this  made  it  easier  for  him  to 
•speak  to  the  bitter  end,  for  he  said  everything  that 
had  to  be  said,  concluding  that  the  only  solution 
would  be  for  the  Tzar  to  abdicate  in  favour  of  his 
little  son,  the  Tzessarevitch  Alexis,  appointing  the 
Grand  Duke  Michael  as  Regent. 

"  General  Russky  leant  forward  and  said  to  me 
in  a  low  voice  :    '  That  is  already  decided.' 

"  When  the  General  had  said  these  words,  the 
Tzar  commenced  to  speak.  His  voice  and  manner 
were  much  calmer  and  more  business-like  than 
M.  Gutchkoff's.  who  was  rather  carried  away  by 
the  greatness  of  the  moment. 

"  '  I  have  been  thinking  deeply  all  yesterday 
and  to-day,'  said  the  Tzar,  '  and  I  have  resolved 
to  renounce  the  Throne.  Until  this  afternoon  I 
was  ready  to  abdicate  in  favour  of  my  son,  but  I 
have  since  come  to  the  conclusion  that  I  have  not 
the  strength  to  part  with  him.'  Here  the  Tzar 
made  a  slight  pause,  adding  :  '  I  trust  you  understand 
this  feeling  ?  I  have  therefore  decided  to  abdicate 
in  favour  of  my  brother.' 

"  The  Tzar  ceased  speaking,  as  if  expecting  an 
answer.  I  then  remarked  that  this  contingency 
took  us  unawares,  as  we  had  only  foreseen  his 
abdication  in  favour  of  the  Tzessarevitch  Alexis. 
I  therefore  asked  to  be  permitted  to  have  a  quarter 
of  an  hour's  conversation  with  my^  colleague.  The 
Tzar  readily  assented  to  my  request.     After  this 


I 


M.    (U'TCHKOKI-,    WHO    WAS   SENT    BV    THK    DUMA 
TO    I)EM\M)    TIIK    KMI'KROr's    ABDICATION 


THE  TZAR  ABDICATES  127 

I  do  not  quite  remember  how  the  discussion  was 
again  resumed.  We  conceded  the  point  regarding 
the  Tzessarevitch.  M.  Gutchkoff  said  he  did  not 
feel  himself  called  upon  to  interfere  in  paternal 
sentiments,  and  considered  any  pressure  in  that 
direction  inadmissible. 

"  It  seemed  to  me  that  a  faint  gleam  of  satis- 
faction passed  over  the  Tzar's  features.  I  remarked 
that  his  resolution,  however  contrary  to  the  decision 
we  had  previously  come  to,  had  many  points  to 
recommend  it.  For  as  matters  stood,  the  unavoid- 
able separation  would  create  an  extremely  doubtful 
situation.  The  little  Tzar  would  be  continually 
thinking  of  his  absent  parents,  and  might  in  his 
heart,  harbour  a  grudge  against  those  who  had 
parted  him  from  his  father  and  mother.  The 
question  arose,  could  the  Regent  take  the  required 
oath  of  fidelity  to  the  Constitution  for  the  under- 
aged  Emperor  ?  Such  an  oath  would  be  indis- 
pensable in  the  present  circumstances,  in  order  to 
avoid  the  repetition  of  a  dual  responsibility.  Having 
arrived  at  this  understanding,  the  Tzar  went  into 
the  next  compartment  to  draw  up  the  manifesto, 
containing  his  abdication.  Before  leaving  the 
saloon-carriage,  he  turned  once  more  to  us. 

"  '  Are  you  certain,'  he  asked,  '  that  my  renun- 
ciation of  the  Throne  will  suffice  to  appease  the 
country  ?  ' 

"  Our  reply  was  to  the  effect  that  we  did  not  fore- 
see any  other  complications. 

"After  some  time  the  Tzar  returned  and  handed 
us .  the   documents,   written   on   several  sheets   of 
block-note  paper." 
I 


128      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 
The  manifesto  read  : 

"Manifesto  by  the  Tzar  Nikolai  II  abdicating 
the  throne. 

"  To  prevent  the  enslavement  of  our  country  by 
foreign  enemies  we  are  still  fighting  a  War  which  has 
already  been  proceeding  for  three  years,  and  God 
has  now  seen  fit  to  visit  a  still  further  trial  on  our 
sorely -tried  Russia. 

"  The  indication  of  internal  unrest  among  the 
people  threatens  to  reflect  very  unfavourably  on  the 
War  to  protect  our  frontiers. 

"  The  fate  of  Russia,  the  honour  of  our  heroic 
army,  the  happiness  of  our  people  and  the  whole 
future  of  our  Fatherland  makes  final  victory  vital 
to  us. 

"  Our  cruel  enemy  is  exerting  his  final  efforts 
against  us  and  already  the  hour  draws  near  when, 
thanks  to  our  army  in  company  with  our  Allies,  the 
enemy  will  be  brought  to  his  knees. 

"At  this  decisive  moment  of  the  fortunes' of 
Russia,  we  find  it  our  bounden  duty  to  take  such 
steps  as  will  enable  our  people  to  attain  to  that  unity 
of  purpose  and  power  indispensable  for  the  earliest 
possible  conquest  of  the  enemy,  and  in  accordance 
with  the  advice  of  the  Imperial  Duma  we  abdicate 
from  the  throne  of  Russia  and  renounce  the  high 
powers  attached  to  the  office. 

"  Not  wishing  to  part  with  our  beloved  son,  we 
pass  the  succession  in  favour  of  our  Brother,  His 
Highness  Prince  Michael  Alexandrovitch,  with  our 
blessing  on  his  accession  to  the  throne  of  Russia. 

"  We  command  our  Brother  to  govern  the  country 


THE  TZAR  ABDICATES  129 

in  strict  accordance  with  the  wishes  of  the  Ministers 
to  be  chosen  by  the  people  and  that  he  swear  this 
oath  for  the  sake  of  our  dearly-loved  Fatherland. 

"  We  command  all  true  sons  of  the  Fatherland  to 
fulfil  their  sacred  duty,  obedience  to"  him  as  Tzar  in 
this  dire  moment  in  the  troubles  of  the  people,  and 
to  help^him,  in  company  with  the  people's  represent- 
atives, to  guide  the  Russian  Empire  to  victory, 
happiness  and  success. 

"  So  may  God  help,  Russia. 

"  (Signed)  Nikolai. 

"  Peshof,  15th  March  (2nd  March) 

15  hours  3  minutes,  1917. 
"  (Countersigned)  Minister  of  the  Imperial  Court, 

"  General  Adjutant,  Count  Friedricks." 

M.  Schulguine  was  struck  with  the  tone  of 
nobility  prevailing  in  the  text,  which,  as  he  frankly 
confesses,  made  him  blush  for  the  tenour  of  the 
renunciation  act  that  they  had  brought  with  them 
to  Pskov.  M.  Schulguine  only  wished  the  word 
"  public  "  inserted  before  "  oath,"  but  the  Emperor 
put  in  "  inviolable." 

The  original  text  of  the  Abdication  Act  was  printed 
in  type  on  a  thick  telegraph-form.  The  signature 
of  Nicholas  II  was,  as  is  usual  in  such  cases, 
covered  with  varnish.  Count  Fredericks,  with  the 
consent  of  His  Majesty,  affixed  his  counter-signature. 
The  other  copy,  written  on  the  leaves  of  block-note- 
paper,  likewise  duly  signed,  was  given  into  the 
keeping  of  General  Russky.  Provided  with  this 
precious  document,  M.  Gutchkoff  and  M.  Schulguine 


130      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

bowed  themselves  out  and,  hurrying  into  their  own 
train,  returned  instantly  to  Petrograd. 

M.  Schulguine  adds  that  the  rest  of  the  interview 
seems  to  be  shrouded  as  by  a  mist.  How  did  they 
take  their  leave  ?  Did  they,  or  did  they  not, 
shake  hands  with  the  ex-Tzar  ?  All  seems  a 
confused  jumble,  but  he  retained  the  impression 
that  no  ill-feeling  was  felt  on  either  side,  and  that 
they  parted  cordially.    . 

Half  an  hour  after  having  signed  the  Abdication 
Act,  the  ex-Tzar  and  his  suite  quitted  Pskov  and 
returned  to  the  Stavka  (Headquarters).  One  of 
the  details  that  to  all  appearance  impressed  the 
Tzar  most  painfully,,  was  the  news  that  the  soldiers 
of  his  own  Body-Guard  had  gone  over  to  the  Revolu- 
tionists. 

There  are  some  who  regard  it  as  unfortunate 
that  M.  Gutchkoff  should  have  been  the  one  to  go 
to  Pskov.  It  was  well-known  that  no  love  was 
lost  between  him  and  the  Tzar.  It  was  the  Tzar's 
dislike  for  M.  Gutchkoff  that  resulted  in  his  not 
remaining  President  of  the  Duma,  and  this  in  itself 
was  surely  sufficient  reason  why  someone  else 
should  have  been  entrusted  with  so  delicate  and 
tragic  a  mission. 

The  plan  of  the  Duma  was  to  persuade  the  Tzar 
to  separate  from  his  wife  for  a  time.  This  he  was 
prepared  to  do,  and,  furthermore,  arrange  for  the 
Empress  and  her  daughters  to  go  to  England  on 
a  visit,  which  would  have  lasted  until  the  war 
was  over.  He  would  likewise  have  met  the  wishes 
of  his  subjects  and  granted  a  responsible  Ministry. 
At  the  last  moment,  however,  everything  seemed  to 


M.    SCHULOUINE,    WHO  ACCOMPANIED   M.    GUTCHKOKK   TO 
PSKOV   TO   DEMAND   THE    ABDICATION    OF    THE   EMPEROR 


THE  TZAR  ABDICATES  131 

happen  with  such  bewildering  suddenness  that  there 
was  no  time  for  negotiation. 

M.  Gutchkoff  and  General  Russky  are  said  to 
have  been  responsible  for  the  idea  of  abdication 
as  the  way  out,  and  there  are  many  among  the 
more  moderate  factions  who  do  not  hesitate  to  blame 
them. 

March  ist  is  a  fatal  day  with  the  Romanoff 
Dynasty.  It  is  impossible  not  to  remark  upon  the 
coincidence  of  dates.  It  was  on  March  ist  that  the 
Imperial  train  was  prevented  from  reaching  the 
capital.  This  proved  the  hopeless  turn  events  were 
taking,  and  although  the  Abdication  was  signed 
on  March  2nd,  the  matter  was  decided  the  day 
before.  Thirty-six  years  ago  on  this  very  day  the 
present  Tzar's  grandfather,  Alexander  II,  was  killed 
by  a  bomb  thrown  into  his  sledge  by  the  revolu- 
tionist Rj^ssakoff. 

A  curious  story  is  related  in  connection  with  this 
date.  A  couple  of  months  before  these  disturbing 
events,  the  Empress  Alexandra,  whilst  on  a  visit 
in  Novgorod,  went  to  see  an  old  staritza,  Marie 
Michaelovna,  who  had  attained  the  rare  age  of  a 
hundred  and  sixteen  years.  For  thirty  years  she 
had  not  left  her  cell  in  the  convent.  The  venerable 
nun  received  Iler  Majesty  sitting  up  in  bed,  for  she 
was  too  weak  to  rise.  The  Empress  bent  forward 
and  the  staritza  told  her  something  that  no  one 
else  heard,  but  which  visibly  impressed  the  Sover- 
eign. Then  she  added  in  a  louder  voice  :  "  Don't 
be  afraid  for  Leshinka  (derived  from  Alexis),  he 
is  quite  safe,  no  one  will  hurt  him,  but  tell  the 
Tzar  to  beware  of  the  ist  of  March." 


132      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

The  Empress  left  the  cell  of  the  aged  staritza  a 
prey  to  intense  agitation.  A  month  later  the 
staritza  died,  and  the  Empress  sent  a  cross  of 
white  flowers  to  Novgorod  to  be  deposited  on  her 
grave. 

General  Ivanoff,  at  the  head  of  a  considerable 
force,  was  in  the  meantime  on  his  way  to  Petrograd 
to  subdue  the  insurrection.  He  had  reached  the 
station  of  Wiritza,  not  far  from  the  Capital,  where 
two  members  of  the  Duma  were  awaiting  his  arrival. 
The  soldiers  arrested  the  deputies,  but  as  soon  as 
the  General  heard  of  this,  he  gave  orders  to  have 
them  set  free,  and  received  them  in  his  compartment. 
They  explained  to  him  the  true  position  of  affairs. 
The  army  at  the  front  could  not  be  weakened, 
and  the  forces  at  the  General's  disposal  were  hardly 
adequate  for  a  struggle  with  the  garrison  of  Petro- 
grad. 

No  orders  from  the  Tzar  awaited  the  General 
in  Wiritza,  for  His  Majesty,  wishing  above  everything 
to  avoid  useless  bloodshed,  had  given  up  the  idea  of 
repressing  the  revolutionary  movement  with  violence. 
After  a  few  moments'  reflection.  General  Ivanoff 
decided  on  retreat,  and  returned  with  his  troops 
to  the  Stavka.  Nevertheless,  General  Ivanoff  was 
later  arrested,  and  it  is  only  due  to  the  Procurator- 
General  Kerensky  that  he  was  liberated,  after  a 
few  days  of  imprisonment. 

Thus  ended  the  contest  between  Absolute  Monarch- 
ism  and  Socialistic  Democracy.  The  chain  of 
autocratic  despotism  was  broken. 

The  French  have  surnamed  the  Russian  Revolu- 
tion a  "  smiling  "  one,  because  the  inevitable  blood- 


THE  TZAR  ABDICATES  133 

shed  was  limited,  and  the  numbers  of  victims  com- 
paratively small.  The  acute  period  lasted  about 
three  days,  but  they  were  terrible  days  I  The  streets 
were  unsafe,  shooting  was  going  on  in  all  directions, 
and  one  lived  in  the  perpetual  fear  of  one's  house 
being  burnt  down,  or  the  apartment  one  occupied 
invaded,  sacked  and  pillaged. 

After  the  Tzar's  abdication  was  announced,  the 
violent  agitation  seemed  to  calm  down  and  order 
was  gradually  restored.  To  secure  power,  the 
Socialists  joined  the  Labour  Party  and  the  Council 
of  the  Soldiers'  Deputies,  and  were  steadily  getting* 
the  upper  hand.  They  protested  against  the  Grand 
Duke  Michael's  ascending  the  Throne.  M.  Rod- 
zianko  and  several  members  of  the  Duma  adjourned 
to  the  Grand  Duke's  Palace  and,  placing  the  former 
Tzar's  manifesto  before  him,  told  him  that  there 
was  a  division  among  the  people,  and  that  the 
Labour  Party  was  against  his  becoming  the  Tzar 
of  Russia.  The  Grand  Duke  accordingly  abdicated 
likewise  and  declared  he  would  only  consent  to  be 
the  Constitutional  Monarch  of  Russia  if  after  the 
war  the  whole  nation  should  elect  him  their  Sover- 
eign. 

M.  Kerensky,  who  was  present,  shook  hands  with 
the  Grand  Duke,  saying  :  "I  never  thought  I 
should  ever  take  the  hand  of  a  member  of  your 
family  with  as  much  cordiality  as  I  now  take  yours." 
The  army  at  the  front  was  disappointed  at  this 
decision,  for  the  Grand  Duke  Michael  is  sincerely 
loved  and  respected  by  the  soldiers,  who,  during 
these  last  years,  had  come  closely  in  contact  with 
him. 


134      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

The  text  of  the  Grand  Duke  Michael's  abdication 
ran  : 

"A  difficult  task  has  been  laid  on  me  by  the  wish 
of  my  Brother  abdicating  the  Imperial  Throne  in  my 
favour  during  the  period  of  an  unprecedented  war 
and  unrest  among  the  people. 

"  In  common  with  the  whole  nation  my  wish 
above  all  others — ^the  happiness  of  Russia — I  have 
unalterably  decided  that  I  will  only  accept  the  high 
powers  offered  me  in  the  event  of  its  being  the  wish 
of  the  whole  people,  who  also  choose  with  undivided 
voice  through  their  representatives  in  the  Repre- 
sentative Parliament,  decide  the  style  of  Government 
and  the  new  laws  of  the  Russian  Empire. 

"  Therefore  with  God's  help  I  ask  all  Citizens  to 
obey  the  Provisional  Government  established  by  the 
efforts  of  the  Imperial  Duma,  which  is  endowed  with 
unlimited  powers,  until  that  moment  in  which  in  the 
shortest  period,  on  the  basis  of  unfettered  and  free 
election  by  the  people,  is  elected  a  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives and  by  their  choice  the  form  of  Govern- 
ment to  show  the  will  of  the  people. 

"(Signed)  Michael." 

After  his  abdication  the  Grand  Duke  Michael 
sent  in  his  resignation.  His  example  was  followed 
by  all  the  members  of  the  Imperial  family. 

Most  of  the  Ministers  and  statesmen  of  the  old 
Government  were  arrested  ;  several  of  the  former 
administration  also  shared  the  general  fate.  The 
Minister  of.  the  Interior,  M.  Protopopoff,  eluded 
arrest  for  a  day  or  two,  but  seeing  the  impossibility 


THE  TZAR  ABDICATES  135 

of  escape,  he  gave  himself  up.  Coming  to  the  Duma 
on  the  evening  of  March  ist,  he  approached  a 
student,  saying  :  "I  am  Protopopoff ;  I  have  come 
to  put  myself  at  the  disposal  of  the  Duma."  The 
student  escorted  the  former  Minister  into  M.  Keren- 
sky's  presence.  Before  being  put  under  arrest, 
M.  Protopopoff  expressed  a  desire  to  communicate 
something  to  M.  Kerensky  in  private.  What  passed 
between  the  two  men  is  not  exactly  known,  but  it 
was  supposed  that  the  former  delivered  the  plan 
of  the  capital's  defence.  This  resulted  in  the 
positions  of  all  the  machine  guns  being  easily 
discovered,  and  useless  bloodshed  saved.  It  was 
also  noised  about  that  M.  Protopopoff  offered  to 
give  M.  Kerensky  the  proofs  of  the  Empress  Alex- 
andra's treachery  to  Russia,  and  of  her  transactions 
with  the  German  Government. 

The  temporary  Committee  of  the  Duma,  under  the 
presidency  of  M.  Rodzianko,  hastened  to  form  the 
new  Cabinet.  Prince  G.  E.  Lwoff  was  appointed 
Prime  Minister  and  Minister  of  the  Interior.  Prince 
Lwoff,  though  an  ardent  Radical,  belongs  to  one  of  the 
oldest  aristocratic  families  in  Russia.  Better  known 
in  Moscow  than  in  Petrdgrad,  he  has  always  enjoyed 
great  popularity  in  Liberal  circles,  and  his  reputation 
for  true  patriotism,  loyalty  and  integrity  is  known 
all  over  the  country.  During  the  Russo-Japanese 
War  Prince  Lwoff  spent  many  months  in  Manchuria 
giving  help  to  the  wounded.  When  the  period  of 
political  disturbances  in  1905-6  was  at  its  height. 
Prince  Lwoff  took  a  prominent  part  in  several  Liberal 
organisations,  and  joined  the  Constitutional - 
Democratic  party,  the  members  of  which  are  called 


136      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

"  Cadets."  He  was  a  member  of  the  first  Duma,  is 
considered  a  man  of  superior  intelligence  and  mar- 
vellous energy,  and  is  gifted  with  a  remarkable 
oratorical  talent.  He  is  an  authority  in  all  agrarian 
matters,  and  was  one  of  the  founders,  as  well  as  the 
President,  of  the  Zemstvo  Confederation  all  over 
Russia.  Since  the  war  the  Prince  resumed  his 
activity  in  relieving  the  sufferings  of  the  wounded, 
and  many  times  visited  the  different  fronts.  He  was 
always  looked  upon  askance  by  the  Government, 
who  not  so  very  long  ago  would  not  confirm  his 
election  as  Mayor  in  Moscow. 

Professor  Miliukoff  was  appointed  Minister  of 
Foreign  Affairs.  He  was  a  member  of  the  third 
and  fourth  Dumas  and  the  principal  leader  of  the 
Constitutional-Democratic   faction. 

After  taking  his  degree  in  the  University  of  Moscow 
M.  Miliukoff,  as  assistant  professor,  gave  lectures  on 
Russian  history  at  the  University.  He  also  lectured 
and  gave  lessons  in  provincial  towns,  but  his  work 
did  not  find  favour  in  the  eyes  of  the  old  Government, 
and  the  young  professor  had  to  give  up  his  occupation 
and  become  a  wanderer.  He  lectured  at  the 
Bulgarian  University  in  Sofia  on  the  history  of  the 
world,  and  was  one  of  the  publishers  of  Mir  Bojy 
(God's  World).  He  was  sentenced  to  six  months' 
imprisonment  for  having  presided  at  a  students' 
political  assembly.  In  the  year  1902,  M.  Miliukoff 
went  to  America,  where  he  lectured  on  the  Slavonic 
question.  In  London  he  worked  in  the  British 
Museum,  lectured  at  one  of  the  higher  colleges  in 
Paris,  visited  all  the  Slavonic  countries,  and  returned 
to  Russia  in  1905. 


PRINCK   I.WOFF 
FIRST    I'RIME   MINISTER   OF   THE    NEW   CABINET 


THE  TZAR  ABDICATES  137 

Carried  away  by  the  wave  of  Revolution  which  at 
that  time  overflowed  the  country>  he  took  an  active 
part  in  many  Progressive  confederations  and  became 
the  soul  of  the  party  of  National  Liberty.  Being 
one  of  the  best  orators  of  the  "  Cadets,"  he  frequently 
spoke  in  public  of  the  desirable  programme  for 
reconstituting  the  nation  on  democratic  lines.  He 
was  one  ot  the  publishers  of  Narodnaia  Svoboda 
(National  Liberty)  and  Svoboda  Naroda  (Liberty 
of  the  People),  and  finally  became  the  publisher  and 
one  of  the  most  important  collaborators  of  the 
Retch  (Speech),  the  organ  of  the  "  Cadets." 

M.  Miliukoff  at  once  took  a  leading  part  in  the 
Duma.  In  his  speeches  he  relentlessly  attacked  the 
politics  of  the  Russian  Foreign  Ofiice.  His  speeches 
were  always  listened  to  with  attention,  and  he  was 
the  first  publicly  to  accuse  the  Empress  of  underhand 
transactions  with  Germany.  M.  Miliukoff  speaks 
well,  but  he  is  not  a  brilliant  orator ;  his  speeches 
savour  too  much  of  lectures  and  are  rather  monoton- 
ous in  intonation.  M.  Miliukoff  has  reached  the  age 
of  sixty.  His  son  was  killed  in  the  first  year  of  the 
war. 

For  many  years  an  acute  political  feud  reigned 
between  M.  Miliukoff  and  M.  Purishkevitch,  at  that 
time  an  ardent  Monarchist,  and  one  of  the  staunchest 
pillar's  of  the  Right  faction.  Their  opinions  were 
continually  clashing,  and  M.  Miliukoff  and  his 
pungent  speeches  drew  from  M.  Purishkevitch  his 
most  sarcastic  sallies.  The  two  deputies  always 
avoided  each  other  in  the  lobbies,  and  the  first  time 
they  shook  hands  for  several  years  was  on  the 
occasion  of  the  Duma's  gathering,  two  days  after 


138      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

the  War-Manifesto  had  been  proclaimed.  This  act 
was  in  reaUty  a  patriotic  manifestation,  in  which  the 
members  of  all  parties  and  factions  joined.  M. 
Purishkevitch,  who  is  rather  inclined  to  theatrical 
effects,  approached  M.  Miliukoff  with  outstretched 
hand  and  the  words  :  "At  last  we  can  meet  on 
common  ground !  " 

The  youngest  Minister  of  the  first  Cabinet  was  M. 
Kerensky,  the  "  good  genius "  of  the  Russian 
Revolution,  as  some  people  call  him.  He  must  be 
about  thirty-six.  He  was  Minister  of  Justice  and 
Procurator-General  and  later  Premier.  He  was 
born  in  Simbirsk  in  a  middle-class  family,  his  father 
was  the  Director  of  the  Gymnasium  in  Tashkent, 
where  his  son  received  his  preliminary  education, 
subsequently  entering  the  University  of  Petrograd. 
He  became  a  barrister  of  some  renown,  especially  in 
Socialistic  circles,  for  he  continually  took  upon 
himself  the  defence  of  political  criminals. 

After  being  elected  member  of  the  fourth  Duma, 
M.  Kerensky  joined  the  Labour  Party.  He  is  an 
impressive  orator  and  his  ardent  eloquence  carries 
one  away.  Being  a  convinced  Socialist,  some  of  his 
speeches  defending  the  interests  of  the  working- 
classes  attracted  not  only  public  attention,  but 
aroused  the  ire  of  the  Govemnient.  He  was  to  be 
made  legally  responsible  for  one  of  his  last  orations, 
but  the  revolutionary  tide  turned  the  current  of 
events.  M.  Kerensky  is  a  bom  leader,  his  influence 
over  the  members  of  the  Labour  Party  and  those  of 
the  Council  of  Soldiers'  Deputies  has  been  quite 
wonderful.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  he  was  the  only  hnk 
between  the  first  Government  and  the  Labour  Party. 


THE  TZAR  ABDICATES  139 

The  War  and  Marine  Minister,  M.  Gutchkoff,  who 
is  fifty-four  years  of  age,  is  a  scion  of  a  wealthy 
merchant  famity  from  Moscow.  Gifted  with  remark- 
able brain-power  and  energy,  his  whole  life  forms  a 
chain  of  adventures.  After  taking  his  degree  at 
the  University  of  Moscow,  M.  Gutchkoff  went 
abroad  to  complete  his  education.  WTien  the 
disturbances  broke  out  in  Asia  Minor,  he  hastened 
to  that  country  intent  on  protecting  the  defenceless 
Armenians.  In  1891,  during  the  famine,  he  went  to 
the  Government  of  Nijni  Novgorod  to  help  as  a 
food-distributor.  Subsequently  he  enlisted  as  a 
volunteer  in  the  Boer  Army  and  was  wounded  in 
the  leg. 

From  the  Transvaal  he  returned  to  Moscow,  and 
for  some  time  devoted  himself  to  the  municipal 
affairs  of  his  native  town.  He  became  a  member  of 
the  town  council  and  was  elected  a  director  of  the 
Moscow  Discount  Bank.  But  the  insurrection  in 
Macedonia  drew  him  to  the  Balkan  peninsula.  He 
stayed  for  some  time  in  Bulgaria,  afterwards  travelled 
about  India,  visited  Thibet,  etc.  When  the  Russo- 
Japanese  war  broke  out  he  went  to  Manchuria  in 
connection  with  the  Russian  Red  Cross  Society. 
After  the  retreat  of  the  Russians  from  Mukden,  M. 
Gutchkoff  remained  behind  to  look  after  the  wounded 
that  could  not  be  nioved,  and  was  taken  prisoner 
by  the  Japanese. 

His  release  from  captivity  in  1905  coincided  with 
the  revolutionary  disturbances  in  Russia.  He  lost 
no  time  in  joining  the  Progressive  movement,  and, 
when  the  confederation  of  October  17th  was  founded, 
it  elected  him  president.    M.   Gutchkoff  took  an 


140      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

active  part  in  the  electorial  struggle  in  connection 
with  the  first  Duma,  but  the  "Cadets"  carried  the 
day  and  this  prevented  M.  Gutchkoff  from  being 
elected  either  to  the  first  or  second  Dumas.  Never- 
theless he  continued  to  fight  for  his  party,  and,  for 
this  purpose,  issued  a  newspaper,  Goloss  Moskvy  (The 
Voice  of  Moscow). 

In  1907  he  was  elected  member  of  the  Upper 
Chamber,  but  he  soon  gave  up  his  seat,  being  elected 
to  the  third  Duma,  where  he  considered  his  influence 
would  be  greater. 

As  a  member  of  the  Duma  he  assumed  the  leader- 
ship of  the  "  Octobrist,"  and  twice  he  was  President 
of  the  Duma,  but  on  each  occasion  only  for  a  short 
time.  He  was  the  President  of  the  country's 
Defence  Commission  and  presided  for  a  long  time  in 
the  Central  Military  Industrial  Commission.  He 
has  entered  closety  into  the  technical  organisation  of 
military  and  naval  power. 

Many  months  before  the  war  commenced  M. 
Gutchkoff  exposed  the  shortcomings  and  misuses 
of  the  War  Ministry,  and  pointed  an  accusing  finger 
at  Colonel  Miassoyedoff,  boldly  giving  utterance  to 
his  conviction  of  the  latter's  treachery.  The  affair 
was  hushed  up  thanks  to  General  Soukhomlinoff's 
interference,  and  the  traduced  colonel  sent  a  challenge 
to  M.  Gutchkoff,  which  the  latter  accepted.  A  duel 
was  fought,  but  subsequent  circumstances  proved 
only  too  clearly  how  right  M.  Gutchkoff  had  been 
in  his  suspicions.  Had  he  been  listened  to  at  the 
time  the  valiant  Russian  Army  would  have  been 
spared  much  disaster. 

Since  the  war  commenced,  a  great  part  of  M. 


THE  TZAR  ABDICATES  141 

Gutchkoff's  astonishing  energy  was  displayed  at 
the  different  fronts,  in  organizing  all  kinds  of 
establishments  for  giving  relief  to  the  wounded  and 
succour  to  the  soldiers.  His  vigour  and  activity 
never  abated  during  the  long  and  weary  months  of 
warfare. 

Twelve  years  ago  Count  Witte  proposed  to  M. 
Gutchkoff  to  enter  the  Cabinet  he  was  forming  as 
Minister  of  Commerce  and  Industry ;  but  the 
offer  was  declined  because  the  late  M.  Peter  Doumovo 
occupied  the  post  of  Minister  of  the  Interior,  and 
M.  Gutchkoff  disapproved  of  his  methods. 

The  Minister  of  Ways  and  Communications,  M. 
Necrassoff,  is  still  a  young  man  :  an  engineer  by 
profession,  he  at  one  time  occupied  the  chair  of 
statistics  and  bridge-constructions  in  the  Techno- 
logical College  of  Tomsk.  M.  Necrassoff  has  always 
been  in  favour  of  academical  autonomy  and,  after 
the  disturbances  among  the  students  in  Tomsk,  he 
was  delegated  by  the  Professorial  Corporation  to  the 
Prime  Minister,  to  report  to  him  the  real  circum- 
stances of  the  case  and  indicate  the  reforms  necessary 
to  secure  the  success  of  scholastic  matters.  The  new 
Minister  belongs  to  the  "  Cadets,"  and  was  a  member 
of  the  third  and  fourth  Dumas,  taking  an  active 
part  in  all  matters  concerning  finance  and  com- 
munication. A  few  months  ago  he  was  elected  the 
second  assistant  of  the  President  of  the  Duma. 

The  Minister  of  Public  Instruction,  M.  A.  A. 
Manouiloff,  the  former  Rector  and  Professor  of  the 
University  in  Moscow,  is  well-known  as  a  dis- 
tinguished political  economist,  not  only  in  Russia, 
but   also   abroad.    His   most   important   work   is 


142      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

The  Lease  of  Land  in  Ireland.  Professor  Manouiloff' s 
opinion  on  the  land-property  question  is,  that  estates 
should  not  be  freehold,  but  that  the  land  should 
belong  to  the  country  and  be  given  in  usufruct  for  a 
certain  number  of  years. 

The  Minister  of  Agriculture,  M.  Shingareff,  is  by 
profession  a  doctor,  and  the  author  of  several  clever 
works  on  Sanitary  Statistics.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  second,  third  and  fourth  Dumas,  and  was 
considered  one  of  the  most  gifted  orators  among  the 
"  Cadets."  His  speeches  on  some  of  the  more 
•important  proposals  were  most  remarkable  for  their 
wisdom  and  depth  of  insight. 

The  Minister  of  Finances,  M.  Terestchenko,  is  a 
man  of  intellect,  perfect  breeding  and  great  wealth. 
One  of  the  most  distinguished  men  in  Kiev,  he  is  an 
active  member  of  the  society  of  sugar-refiners  in 
Russia,  and  was  the  President  of  the  Military- 
Industrial  Committee  of  Kiev.  When  a  Central 
Committee  was  formed  in  Petrograd,  M.  Teres- 
tchenko became  one  of  its  members,  and  several  of  his 
speeches  were  severely  critical  of  the  existing  system 
of  providing  food  for  the  army.  M.  Terestchenko 
shared  the  opinion  of  M.  Gutchkoff  and  M.  Konova- 
loff,  that  the  respresentatives  of  the  working 
associations  should  have  been  represented  on  this 
committee's  organizations. 

When  M.  Terestchenko  accepted  the  portfolio  of 
Finances,  one  of  his  first  acts  was  to  insist  on  his 
predecessor,  M.  Bark,  being  let  out  of  prison.  It 
-  w£LS  indispensable  for  him,  declared  M.  Terestchenko, 
to  be  initiated  by  M.  Bark  into  the  system  hitherto 
employed  of  governing  the  Crown's  finances,  but  he 


THE  TZAR  ABDICATES  143 

did  not  consider  it  dignified,  as  the  representative 
of  the  temporary  Russian  Government,  to  receive 
instructions  and  explanations  from  a  prisoner. 
M.  Bark  was  instantly  set  free. 

M.  Konovaloff,  the  Minister  of  Commerce  and 
Industry,  acquired  a  thorough  knowledge  of  his 
subjects  as  a  manufacturer  himself,  and  during  the 
time  of  M.  Gutchkoff' s  illness,  he  directed  the  works 
of  the  Military-Industrial  Committee.  M.  Konova- 
loff was  a  member  of  the  fourth  Duma  and  belonged 
to  the  Progressives.  As  an  orator  he  made  a  mark 
by  his  speeches  on  matters  concerning  the  press  and 
commerce. 

M.  Roditcheff,  who  was  appointed  Minister  of 
Finland's  affairs,  is  an  experienced  politician.  He 
has  been  a  member  of  all  the  four  Dumas.  He  is 
past  sixty  years  of  age. 

M.  Roditcheff  belongs  to  the  landed  gentry  of 
the  Government  of  Tver,  and  was  the  initiator  of 
the  famous  address  to  Nicholas  II  presented  on  his 
ascending  the  Throne  twenty -two  years  ago.  It 
expressed  the  hope  that  the  young  Sovereign  would 
grant  a  constitutional  government  to  the  country. 
By  profession  a  barrister,  M.  Roditcheff  was  known 
for  some  years  as  a,  lawyer.  His  ultra-Liberal  , 
opinions  occasionally  got  him  into  trouble  with 
the  old  regime.  M.  Roditcheff  is  one  of  the  most 
important  leaders  and  principal  orators  of  the 
"  Cadets,"  and  always  took  an  active  part  in  the 
pre-electoral  agitation  of  his  party.  He  was 
prevented  from  signing  the  Wiborg  declaration, 
after  the  dissolution  of  the  first  Duma,  by  being  at 
that  time  in  London  at  the  International  Parlia- 
K  . 


144      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

mentary  Congress  ;  thus  escaping  the  rigours  of 
the  Russian  Government. 

The  State  Controller,  M.  Godneff,  by  profession 
a  doctor,  was  a  member  of  the  third  and  fourth 
Dumas.  In  1905  he  took  an  energetic  part  in 
forming  the  "  Confederation  of  the  17th  of  October,'' 
and  since  he  was  elected,  he  has  joined  the  "  Octo- 
brists."  M.  Godneff  is  sixty  years  of  age.  He  is 
an  honest  man  of  sense  and  intellect,  and  is  con- 
sidered a  clever  orator. 

The  Procurator  of  the  Holy  Synod,  M.  Lwoff, 
was  a  member  of  the  last  two  Dumas.  He  presided 
over  the  Commissions  concerning  matters  of  the 
Greek  Orthodox  Church.  After  taking  his  degree 
in  the  University  of  Moscow,  where  he  studied  his- 
torical philology,  M.  Lwoff  entered  the  Clerical 
Academy  as  a  free  auditor.  One  of  the  creators 
of  the  Confederation  of  the  17th  of  October,  M. 
Lwoff  also  belongs  to  the  Octobrists. 

The  above-named  twelve  statesmen  constituted 
the  first  Revolutionary  Government,  to  which  was 
entrusted  the  arduous  task  of  wading  triumphantly 
through  the  countless  difficulties  and  complications 
started  by  the  Revolution  and  maintained  by  the 
masses,  who  do  not  comprehend  anything  of  politics, 
and  are  intoxicated  with  the  success  they  achieved 
and  the  power  that  has  suddenly  come  into  their 
hands.  The  struggle  with  the  Labour  Party  and 
the  Council  of  the  Soldiers'  Deputies  required  not 
only  brain-power  and  strength  of  purpose,  but 
tact  and  skill  in  gaining  their  confidence  and  making 
them  understand  what  is  evident  to  the  more 
enlightened  minds.     M.  Kerensky  fulfilled  all  these 


M.     TKRKSTCHENKO 


THE   TZAR  ABDICATES  145 

requirements.  The  Labour  Party  believed  in  him, 
trusted  his  motives,  and  were  willing  to  be  led  by 
him. 

The  Revolution  has  for  the  first  time  given  the 
fate  of  the  Russian  people  into  their  own  hands. 
It  is  a  severe  test  to  the  Russian  democrats,  which 
will  prove  their  constructive  and  governing  capa- 
bilities. They  will  have  to  pass  a  strict  and  rigorous 
examination,  which  will  show  the  world  if  they  have 
acquired  the  right  to  govern  their  countrj^  and  wield 
power  over  the  nation.  It  is  a  weighty  respon- 
sibility the}^  have  assumed,  and  the  nation  is 
anxiously  awaiting  the  proofs  of  their  ability. 

The  principal  task  would  be  for  the  masses  to 
join  forces  and  centre  their  strength  in  defending 
their  national  independence.  At  such  an  historical 
moment,  when  the  enemy'  is  nearly  at  our  door, 
it  is  not  the  time  for  discussion,  for  wrangling  and 
bickering.  The  organs  of  the  Democratic  Socialists 
are  much  to  blame.-  Instead  of  striving  to  unite 
the  different  parties,  they  publish  provocative 
articles  calculated  to  inspire  class  division.  If  the 
Russian  people  wish  to  glean  the  reward  they  have 
richly  earned  by  overthrowing  absolutism,  which 
they  feared  was  once  more  leading  them  under  the 
yoke  of  Germanism,  they  must  likewise  completely 
destroy  the  spell  that  socialistic  maniacs  are  casting 
over  them.  They  must  rally  all  their  strength 
and  energy  to  fight  the  German  enemy  to  the  bitter 
end,  and  prove  to  their  Allies  that  an  alliance  with 
free  and  mighty  Russia  is  desirable  from  every 
point  of  \iew. 


CHAPTER   VIII 
Russia's  evil  genius 

THE  Palace  of  Tzarskoe  Selo  was  filled  with 
gloom  and  sickness.  The  Tzessarevitch, 
though  convalescent,  was  still  very  weak: 
tjie  young  Grand  Duchesses  had  also  contracted 
measles  in  a  severe  form  and  were  very  ill.  But 
fate  had  still  more  terrible  trials  in  store  for  the 
unfortunate  Imperial  Family. 

The  Government  had  decided  to  deprive  the  ab- 
dicated Tzar  and  his  Consort  of  their  liberty.  Dele- 
gates from  the  Duma  were  sent  to  Tzarskoe  Selo. 
On  enquiry  when  the  Empress  could  receive  them, 
the  Chief  Marshal,  Count  Benckendorff  (the  brother 
of  the  late  Russian  Ambassador  in  London)  in- 
formed them  :  "  Not  before  ten  o'clock."  At  the 
hour  fixed  the  emissaries  presented  themselves 
at  the  Palace,  ind  were  ushered  into  one  of  the 
private  reception-rooms. 

The  Empress  entered,  dressed  in  a  plain  black 
dress  buttoned  up  to  the  throat.  She  was  pale, 
but  perfectly  self-possessed.  'When  she  was  apprised 
of  her  arrest,  she  bowed  acquiescence  and  the  only 
word  she  uttered  was  to  ask  if  she  might  have 
the  required  medical  attendance  from  town  for 
her    children.    This    was    accorded    her,   with  the 

146 


RUSSIA'S  EVIL  GENIUS  147 

stipulation,  however,  that  one  of  the  sentinels  in 
charge  would  have  to  be  in  the  room  during  the 
doctor's  visit.  The  former  Sovereign  inclined  her 
head  and  left  the  apartment.  The  courtiers  and 
attendants  remaining  in  the  Palace  were  likewise 
to  consider  themselves  under  arrest,  and  all  were 
ferbidden  to  communicate  with  the  outside  world. 
The  only  one  who  protested  was  Count  Apraxine, 
attached  to  the  person  of  Her  Majesty.  The  Count 
preferred  to  leave  the  Palace  and  go  to  his  own 
home. 

Two  members  of  the  Duma  were  sent  to  Mohilev 
to  escort  the  ex-Tzar  to  Tzarskoe  Selo.  After  his 
abdication,  the  Dowager  Empress  Marie  came  from 
Kiev  to  Mohilev  and  spent  four  days  with  her  son. 
When  the  delegates  arrived,  Nicholas  II  was  in  his 
mother's  train,  where  he  had  lunched  with  her. 
The  Imperial  train  was  in  readiness  and,  when  the 
ex-Tzar  was  informed  of  the  emissaries'  arrival, 
he  took  an  affectionate  leave  of  his  mother  and  went 
on  to  the  platform,  where  the  Headquarters  Staff, 
with  General  Alexeieff  at  their  head,  was  assembled 
to  see  him  off.  It  was  a  pathetic  moment  !  There 
was  a  hush  as  Nicholas  II  went  up  to  each  one 
present  and  took  a  cordial  leave  of  him.  Admiral 
Niloff  wished  to  accompany  his  Imperial  Master, 
but  on  being  prevented  he  went  up  to  him,  wrung 
his  hand  and  kissed  it ;  the  Emperor  hastily  stepped 
into  his  train. 

The  Dowager  Empress  stood  at  the  window  of 
her  compartment,  a  silent  witness  of  what  was 
going  on. 

The  Marshal  of  the  Court,  Prince  Dolgoroukoff, 


148      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

General  Narishkine  and  Colonel  Mordvinoff,  accom- 
panied the  Tzar  during  this  historical  journey; 
The  members  of  the  Duma  did  not  see  their 
"  prisoner,"  a  sense  of  delicacy  kept  them  in  their 
own  compartment. 

The  calm  of  the  Tzar,  which  did  not  forsake  him 
for  a  moment,  was  outward  only.  To  those  who 
knew  him  well  it  was  obvious  that  he  was  deeply 
moved. 

He  had  not  expected  the  turn  events  were 
taking,  or  he  might  have  made  terms  with  M.  Gutch- 
koff  and  M.  Schulguine,  who  had  required  only 
his  abdication.  As  a  matter  of  fact  it  was  not 
the  Government  that  took  the  initiative  of  this 
extreme  measure.  It  was  the  Labour  Party  that 
insisted  upon  the  arrest. 

His  Majesty  conversed  with  his  suite  about  the 
illness  of  his  children,  the  quick  movements  of  the 
train,  the  progress  of  the  war,  but  only  once  did 
he  touch  upon  the  events  of  the  day.  When  he 
heard  of  Count  Fredericks'  and  General  Woyeikoff's 
arrest,  he  said  : 

"  I  am  sorry  for  them,  they  are  not  in  fault." 

His  manner  was  perfectly  tranquil,  as  amiable 
and .  courteous  as  ever,  only  the  glance  of  his  eyes 
into  distance  betrayed  the  heavy  tension  of.  his 
mind. 

Ten  minutes  before  the  train  stopped  at  Tzarskoe 
Selo,  the  Emperor  took  leave  of  all  his  attendants, 
giving  each  of  them  the  fraternal  kiss,  and  thanking 
them  for  their  devoted  service.  After  the  Russian 
custom,  they  kissed  the  Emperor's  shoulder  :  many 
of  them   wept.     The  moment   the   train   stopped. 


RUSSIA'S  EVIL  GENIUS  149 

the  Emperor  hastily  stepped  out  of  his  carriage, 
and,  with  his  hand  held  up  in  salute,  he  silently 
and  rapidly  passed  along  the  platform-  and  jumped 
into  the  motor-car,  followed  by  Prince  Dolgoroukoff. 
Arrived  at  the  Palace,  he  hastened  to  the  Empress, 
who  was  waiting  for  him  in  their  private  apartment. 
She  threw  herself  into  his  arms  exclaiming  : 

"  Forgive  me  !  forgive  me  !  It  is  I  who  have 
brought  you  to  this." 

But  the  chivalrous  Tzar  would  not  hear  of  this, 
and  affectionately  reassuring  her  replied  : 

"  I  alone  ani  to  blame." 

Since  then,  if  is  rumoured  that  this  humble  strain 
of  mind  has  passed,  and  Alexandra  Feodorovna  has 
been  heard  to  upbraid  her  husband  in  English  for 
having  given  in  too  soon,  and  rashly  signed  the 
Abdication  Act. 

It  was  Nicholas  II  himself  who  told  his  little 
son  of  the  change  in  their  prospects,  explaining 
to  the  boy  that  he  was  no  longer  the  Tzar.  The 
Tzessarevitch  wept  bitterly,  adding  :  "  And  I  also 
shall  never  be  a  Tzar  !  " 

As  soon  as  Madame  Vyrouboff  was  well  enough, 
she  was  arrested,  removed  to  Petrograd  and  incar- 
cerated in  the  fortress.  The  arrest  of  the  aged 
Count  Fredericks  had  the  effect  of  making  the 
old  man  so  ill  that  he  had  to  be  sent  to  the  Evan- 
gelical Hospital.  Admiral  Niloff  was  set  at  liberty 
after  a  few  days'  arrest.  General  Woyeikoff  is  in 
the  fortress.  His  attitude  as  a  prisoner  is  as  self- 
assertive  as  ever.  On  his  journey  to  Petrograd, 
after  his  arrest,  he  is  said  to  have  spoken  of  the 
Imperial  couple  in  terms  that  he,  above  all  others. 


150      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

should  not  have  used,  giving  way  to  accusations 
that  he  ought  never  to  have  uttered. 

The  newspapers,  reHeved  of  the  censor's  yoke, 
proved  once  more  the  gulf  that  exists  between  the 
English  and  the  Russian  Press,  and  the  difference 
of  mental  calibre  of  the  Russian  and  British  jour- 
nalists. The  Russian  Press  lost  all  sense  of  pro- 
portion. It  was  as  if  a  hurricane  of  abuse  had  been 
hurled  at  the  Romanoffs,  past  and  present.  Myriads 
of  writers  dipped  their  pens  in  venom  and  gave 
utterance  to  quite  useless  and  disgusting  details, 
most  of  which  were  false.  For  instance,  all  the 
papers  spoke  of  the  Emperor's  intemperate  habits. 
This  statement  is  flatly  refuted  by  all  those  who 
know  him  intimately. 

The  English  General  W.,  who  was  a  constant 
inmate  of  the  Stavka,  and  had  daily  intercourse 
with  the  Sovereign,  frequently  sharing  his  repasts, 
declares  that  in  all  these  months  he  never  once 
saw  the  Emperor  in  a  state  of  inebriation. 
Nicholas  II  had  quite  ceased  to  drink  wine  since 
the  war. 

The  Empress  was  vilified,  covered  with  mud, 
and  even  her  innocent  young  daughters  could  not 
be  left  unmolested.  The  poet,  Lermontoff' s  beauti- 
ful words  were  forgotten  : 

"  The  Temple  abandoned,  is  still  a  temple. 
The  fallen  Idol,  still  a  god." 

Only  a  few  newspapers  were  moderate  in  their 
accounts. 

The  following  acrostic  eloquently  shows  how 
people  felt  towards  the  Empress  Alexandra  : 


RUSSIA'S  EVIL  GENIUS  151 

Romanova  Romanoff 

Alexandra  Alexandra 

Svoim  by  her 

Povedeniem  conduct 

Unitchtojila  destroyed 

Tron  the  Throne 

Imperatora  of  the  Emperor 

Nicolaia  Nicholas 

The  capitals  of  this  sentence  form  the  word 
"  Rasputin." 

Various  interviews  were  published.  Some  of  the 
members  of  the  Imperial  Family  showed  a  deplorable 
lack  of  taste  in  imparting  all  kinds  of  superfluous 
confidences  to  promiscuous  reporters.  Others  there 
were  who,  formerly,  would  never  have  dared  to  utter 
.a  word  of  admonition  to  the  Tzar,  now  publicly 
declared  how  often  they  had  warned  and  advised 
him,  but  alas  !   always  in  vain  1 

The  cup  of  calumny,  misrepresentation  and  in- 
solence was  filled  to  overflowing.  The  traditional 
donkey  kicks  were  not  wanting  either.  People 
seemed  to  forget  that  the  actual  faults  and  errors  were 
quite  sufficient,  that  it  was  no  use  adding  imaginary 
ones. 

The  chief  responsibility  of  the  Dynasty's  downfall 
lies  at  the  door  of  the  Empress  Alexandra.  It  is 
always  a  fatal  sign  when  people  cease  to  look  up 
to  their  Sovereign,  but  in  her  extravagances  with 
Rasputine,  Her  Majesty  overstepped  the  limit.  Her 
tactless  attitude  towards  the  Russians,  her  surprising 
fancies,  and  above  all,  her  strange  behaviour  since 
the  war,  caused  the  gradual  decline  of  the  Tzar's 
popularity,  and  put  an  end  to  the  country's  former 


152      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

veneration  for  the  Throne  and  the  Sovereigns  and, 
finally,  caused  the  Revolution.  The  nation  repu- 
diated the  Tzaritza,  because  the  Tzar  would  not 
do  so.  The  Emperor  was  the  victim  of  his  loyalty 
to  his  wife. 

Admiral  Niloff  relates  the  following  story,  which 
intensifies  the  responsibility  of  the  Empress  Alex- 
a,ndra,  and  clearly  designates  her  as  the  chief 
culprit  who  caused  the  Revolution  and  the  overthrow 
of  the  Tzar. 

Nicholas  II  had  quite  decided  to  grant  to  the 
country  a  full  Constitution  with  a  responsible  Minis- 
try. The  manifesto  was  composed  by  himself,  and 
it  was  to  be  given  out  on  his  name-day,  December  6th 
(19th),  1916.  Up  to  the  last  moment  the  Empress 
Alexandra  was  kept  in  ignorance  of  this  resolution, 
but  somehow,  probably  through  General  Woyeikoff, 
she  was  apprised  of  what  was  going  on.  ,  Entering 
her  husband's  study,  and  finding  the  manuscript 
manifesto  on  his  table,  she  took  it  up  and  tore  it 
to  pieces,  and  succeeded  in  preva.iling  upon  the 
Tzar  to  give  up  his  intention. 

If  the  Emperor  had  not  listened  to  her  and  had 
maintained  his  decision,  the  Revolution  would  have 
been  averted  by  one  stroke  of  the  pen  I 

The  Russian  people  accuse  the  Empress  of  bringing 
ill-luck  to  everyone  who  comes  near  her.  Since  her 
arrival  in  Russia,  she  has  been  fatal  to  her  family, 
the  Nation,  the  Court,  and  the  Monarchy.  The 
following  facts  prove  her  fatality  : 

At  the  time  of  her  birth,  the  accident  occurred 
to  her  brother,  who  was  killed  by  a  fall  from  a 
window. 


The  J-xclusirt  Xnt's  Agtncy 
THE    KX-KMPRKSS     ALEXANDRA    IN    THE    UNIFORM    OK    THE 
EMPRESS   ALEXANDRA    FEODOROVNA's    REGIMENT   OK    LANCERS 


n 


RUSSIA'S  EVIL  GENIUS  153 

As  a  small  child  she  caused  the  death  of  her 
mother  by  infecting  her  with  diphtheria. 

She  came  to  Russia  when  death  was  brooding  over 
the  Romanoffs. 

Her  bethrothal  was  solemnized  on  the  threshold 
of  death. 

The  Coronation  festivals  in  Moscow  were  marred 
by  the  terrible  catastrophe  of  Hodynka. 

The  precipitate  peace  with  Japan  was  concluded 
under  her  pressure. 

The  Russian  retreat  from  East  Prussia  in  the 
autumn  of  1914  is  attributed  by  the  people  to  her 
influence. 

The  ikons  the  Empress  sent  to  the  garrisons  of 
Kovno  and  Ivangorod  arrived  on  the  day  preceding 
their  surrender,  a  precursor  of  evil. 
.  And  last,  .but  not  least,  her  occult  occupations 
with  Philippe,  Papus  and  lately  with  Rasputine, 
which  were  interpreted  by  the  people  as  sorcery 
and  witchcraft. 

Politicians  accuse  the  Empress  of  persistently 
interfering  in  affairs  of  State,  and  using  her  influence 
with  the  Tzar  to  promote  her  own  plans  to  the 
detriment  of  the  country. 

This  story  is  a  sample  of  her  continual  inter- 
ference in  matters  that  she  should  have  left  alone. 

One  of  the  shadiest  individuals,  M.  Manassevitch- 
Manouiloff,  who  for  many  years  managed  to  play 
an  obscure  but  influential  part  in  the  spheres  of 
the  secret  police,  and  a  somewhat  important  position 
in  the  world  of  journalism  (he  was  a  member  of 
the  staff  of  the  Novoe  Vremia,  and  the  Vetdhernee 
Vremia),  about  a  year  ago,  whilst  attached  to  the 


154      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

service  of  M.  Manassevitch-Manouiloff,  was  accused 
of  blackmailing  one  of  the  banks  in  Moscow,  and 
was  arrested.  Owing  to  the  protection  of  Stiirmer, 
Rasputine  and  tutti  quanti,  he  was  set  at  liberty  on 
bail,  but  his  trial  was  not  hurried  on,  and  it  was 
whispered  that  this  was  done  by  the  desire  of  high 
spheres.  The  Minister  of  Justice,  Makaroff  (the 
predecessor  of  Dobrowolsky — both  are  incarcerated 
in  the  fortress)  had  to  resign  because  he  fixed  the 
day  of  the  trial,  which  was  again  put  off  on  some 
slight  plea. 

After  the  Revolution  the  proofs  were  found  of 
the  pressure  the  Empress  had  brought  to  bear 
on  the  Tzar  to  prevent  this  trial.  The  following 
telegrams  were  sent  by  Alexandra  Feodorovna  to 
the  Emperor  at  Headquarters  : 
■  December  14th,  1916. 

I  beg  you  to  stop  immediately,  by  wire,  the  trial  of 
Manouiloff.  It  commences  at  11  o'clock  in  the  morning 
and  will  be  pitiless.  I  wrote  to  you  and  to  General  Bati- 
ouschine  concerning  this  circumstance,  and  asked  you 
point-blank  to  stop  the  affair.  This  is  absolutely  necessary 
to  your  happiness. 

Alix. 

December  15th,  1916. 

Thanks  from  the  depths  of  my  heart  for  your  dear  letter. 
Forgive  Sana.*  1  am  so  thankful  that  my  telegram  of 
yesterday   influenced  your  noble  order. 

Alix. 

After  Rasputine 's  murder  the  trial  ^id  take  place, 
and  Manassevitch-Manouiloff  was  sentenced  to 
several  years'  imprisonment. 

•  Sana  is  Madame  VyroubofE's  younger  sister,  Mrs.  Pistohlporse. 


RUSSIA'S  EVIL  GENIUS  .  155 

The  putting  off  of  the  first  trial  caused  a  great 
deal  of  talk,  displeasure  and  criticism. 

The  Empress  never  sympathised  with  France, 
and  all  her  endeavours  were  directed  to  sever  the 
Franco-Russian  Alliance  and  bring  about  the  re- 
newal of  the  Three  Emperors'  Alliance,  which  would 
have  been  a  serious  rebuff  for  France.  If  the  war 
had  not  intervened,  this  Alliance  of  the  Emperors 
would  have  been  ratified  and  announced  to  the 
world  !  M.  Clemenceau  warned  the  French  Govern- 
ment of  the  Russian  Empress's  intrigues  against 
France. 

That  was  before  the  war  ;  since  then  her  conduct 
has  been  such  as  to  throw  the  gravest  doubts  upon 
her  loyalty  to  the  country  her  husband  reigned  over. 
From  the  day  of  the  first  battle  between  the  Russians 
and  Germans,  the  Russian  army  was  imbued  with 
the  conviction  of  the  Empress's  intrigues  with 
Berlin,  and  there  are  officers  who  maintain  that  the 
proofs  exist  showing  that  all  treacherous  plans 
against  Russia  are  traceable  to  Tzarskoe  Selo. 
It  seems  hard  to  realise  that  a  mother  could  range 
herself  against  her  own  son,  and  one  so  ardently 
beloved  as  the  Tzessarevitch,  and  it  remains  to  be 
proved  whether  or  no  Alexandra  Feodorovna  was 
aware  of  the  machinations  of  some  of  her  courtiers. 
It  is  affirmed  on  convincing  authority  that  if  the 
Revolution  had  not  frustrated  the  Empress's  plans, 
peace  would  have  been  concluded  with  Germany  in 
a  very  short  while,  to  the  evident  detriment  of  the 
country  and  that  of  our  Allies. 

The  Empress  is  likewise  accused  of  giving  the 
Tzar  philtres,  which  Rasputine  procured  for  her, 


156      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

to  weaken  his  brain  and  blunt  his  memory.  This 
accusation,  savouring  rather  of  the  Middle  Ages, 
is  not  solely  due  to  the  fertile  imagination  of  the 
people,  but  is  based  on  accusations  made  by  several 
members  of  the  Imperial  Family  and  some  of  the 
generals  of  the  Tzar's  entourage. 
•  The  Emperor  is  branded  with  the  reproach  of 
being  culpabl}^  weak,  of  letting  his  wife  rule  him  and 
his  Government,  of  considering  her  wishes  before 
those  of  the  nation,  and  of  putting  his  wife's  pleasure 
before  the  country's  well-being.  In  his  wife's 
presence  the  Sovereign  had  no  opinion  of  his  own. 
She  took  the  lead  in  am^  discussion  or  argument,  and 
contrived  to  make  him  v/aver  in  his  most  firraly- 
conceived  resolutions.  Her  Vvill  was  his  law.  The 
most  heinous  imputation  against  the  Emperor  is  the 
protection  he  accorded  to  General  Soukhomlinoff, 
who  is  accused  of  being  a  traitor  to  his  country,  by 
virtue  of  his  readiness,  to  fall  in  with  Alexandra 
Feodorovna's  wishes  concerning  a  separate  peace, 
which  would  have  brought  shame  to  the  country  and 
have  alienated  us  for  ever  from  our  Allies. 

Was  it  guilt  on  the  part  of  the  Sovereigns  or  only 
error  ? 

Public  opinion  inclines  to  the  belief  that  it  was 
error  on  the  Tzar-s  part,  but  guilt  on  the  Empress's ! 
Time  will  show  the  correctness  of  these  impres- 
sions. 

The  first  member  of  the  Imiperial  Family  to 
recognise  the  new  state  of  things  was  the  Grand  Duke 
Cyril.  He  marched  up  to  the  Duma  at  the  head  of 
the  Guards'  equipage,  and  had  himself  announced 
to  M.  Rodzianko.  A  few  hours  later  the  President  ol 


RUSSIA'S  EVIL  GENIUS  157 

the  Duma  and  several  of  the  members  adjourned  to 
the  Grand  Duke's  palace,  and  were  received  by  him 
on  the  threshold  of  his  abode  with  Royal  honours. 
The  Grand  Duke  Cyril  was  likewise  the  first  to  hoist 
the  red  flag  over  his  palace.  This  caused  some 
wonder  am^ong  the  upper  classes,  for  except  the 
Imperial  Standard,  Russia  has  her  national  three- 
coloured  flag,  which  would  seem  more  suitable  on 
palaces  and  state  buildings,  than  the  scarlet  embl,em 
of  Revolution. 

After  the  Tzar's  abdication,  the  Government 
decided  to  recall  the  Grand  Duke  Nicholas  from  the 
Caucasus  and  reinstate  him  as  the  supreme  Com- 
mander-in-Chief. In  fact  the  deed  was  done,  and 
the  Grand  Duke  was  on  his  way  to  the  Stavka,  when 
the  Committee  of  the  Workmen's  Delegates  and  the 
Council  of  the  Soldiers'  Deputies,  egged  on  by  the 
socialists,  protested  against  the  measure.  If  the 
truth  were  known,  it  was  the  fear  of  the  Grand  Duke's 
popularity  with  the  army,  and  that  it  might  impel 
them  to  proclaim  him  Tzar  of  Russia,  after  having 
been  led  by  him  to  victory,  that  caused  the  Labour 
Party  to  insist  on  the  revocation  of  his  appointment. 
M.  Kerensky  upheld  them,  threatening  not  to 
remain  in  the  Cabinet  if  the  Grand  Duke  took  the 
chief  command.  The  Government  was  in  a  disagree- 
able plight,  but  it  was  overruled  by  M.  Kerensky 
and  the  Social  Democrats,  who  unfortunately  are 
getting  the  upper  hand.  It  was  somewhat  incoher- 
ently explained  that  the  Grand  Duke's  nomination 
was  due  to  a  misunderstanding,  and  had  been  made 
by  the  old  Government.  The  Grand  Duke  was 
requested  to  give  up  his  vice-regal  position  in  the 


158      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

Caucasus,  and  has  since  retired  into  private  life  on 
his  estates  in  the  Crimea. 

A  letter  of  the  Grand  Duchess  Marie  Pavlovna 
to  her  son  Boris,  which  General  Tchebykine,  one  of 
the  most  loyal  and  devoted  monarchists,  was  to 
take  to  the  Grand  Duke  in  person,  caused  the  arrest 
of  the  Grand  Duchess,  her  son  Boris,  General 
Tchebykine,  and  of  several  officers  in  attendance 
upon  the  Grand  Duke  Boris. 

The  tenour  of  the  letter  was  to  the  effect  that  the 
hopes  of  the  Romanoffs  centred  henceforth  in  the 
Grand  Duke  Nicholas  and  that  it  would  be  wise,  if 
he  became  the  Commander-in-Chief,  to  predispose 
the  Army  in  favour  of  his  ascending  the  throne  later. 

A  short  while  before  the  disturbances  commenced 
the  Grand  Duchess  Marie  Pavlovna  had  left  Petrograd 
for  the  Caucasus.  For  the  present  she  remains 
there,  undergoing  her  arrest  in  her  villa  in  Kislovodsk. 
The  Grand  Duke  Boris  is  at  his  palace  in  Tzarskoe 
Selo. 

The  Government's  idea  was  to  embark  Nicholas  II 
and  his  family  on  one  of  the  Imperial  yachts  and 
convey  him  under  the  escort  of  M.  Kerensky  to 
England,  where  the  ex-Tzar  would  have  been  safe, 
but  the  Social  Democrats  once  more  interfered, 
stating  that  the  Sovereigns  knew  too  many  military 
and  state  secrets  and,  whilst  the  •  war  lasts,  this 
would  be  detrimental  to  Russia.  They  also  insist 
on  knowing  the  amount  of  guilt  attached  to  each, 
and  that  will  only  be  revealed  in  the  course  of  the 
forthcoming  trials  of  the  Ministers. 

Military  men  state  that  the  reason  of  General 
Brussiloff' s  successful  Galician  campaign  a  year  ago 


IHE   GRAND    DUKE   NICHOLAS   NICOLAIEVITCH 


RUSSIA'S  EVIL  GENIUS  159 

was  due  entirely  to  the  fact  of  the  date  being  carefully 
concealed  from  the  Empress.  The  General  parried 
her  enquiries  by  answering  that  his  army  was  not  in 
readiness,  and  he  could  not  think  of  setting  forth 
before  the  end  of  June,  whereas  the  attack  com- 
menced in  the  middle  of  May. 

In  the  commencement  of  the  year  1916,  when  for 
some  reason  General  Russky  had  been  temporarily 
set  aside,  the  Grand  Duchess  Marie  Pa vlovna  junior, 
who  was  working  as  a  sister  of  mercy  in  the  hospital 
of  Pskov,  wrote  to  her  father,  the  Grand  Duke  Paul, 
requesting  him  to  speak  to  the  Tzar  and  tell  him  the 
grave  error  he  was  making  in  removing  General 
Russky,  for  the  army  trusted  him  and  was  displeased 
at  his  removal.  General  Russky  had  often  been 
victorious  in  the  battle-field,  and  could  lead  them 
once .  more  to  victory.  Those  were  the  professed 
sentiments  of  the  soldiers,  which  had  reached  the 
ears  of  the  young  Grand  Duchess.  Her  father 
wrote  a  letter  to  the  Tzar,  apprising  him  of  these 
facts,  and  including  his  daughter's  letter  from  Pskov. 
The  Grand  Duke's  letter  was  intercepted  by^the 
Empress,  and  it  was  she  who  sent  an  answer  to  this 
appeal  in  the  following  terms  : — 

I  have  read  your  letter  and  am  glad  it  did  not  reach 
Nicolai  Alexandrovitch.  Let  the  old  man  have  a  rest. 
We  shall  call  him  back  when  necessary. 

Alexandra. 

Nothing,  not  even  the  appointment  or  withdrawal 
of  a  general  in  the  army,  happened  without  the 
connivance  of  the  Empress  Alexandra. 

Amongst  the  arrested  statesmen  of  the  old  Govern- 
ment, who  are  now  incarcerated  in  the  Fortress  of 

L 


i6o      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul,  are  the  former  Minister  of 
the  Interior,  M.  Maklakoff.  He  was  badly  mal- 
treated by  the  crowd,  and  was  in  such  a  state  of 
desperation  when  brought  to  the  Duma,  that  he 
would  have  committed  suicide  had  a  revolver  been 
at  hand.  There  are  the  Minister  of  Commerce  and 
Industry,  Prince  Shahovskoy,  the  War  Minister, 
General  Beliaeff,  Admiral  Kartzeff  (he  lost  his 
reason  and  had  to  be  sent  to  an  asylum) .  The  former 
Prime  Minister,  M.  Goremykine,  was  set  free  after  a 
two  weeks'  arrest  on  account  of  his  venerable  age. 

Other  prisoners  are  a  member  of  the  Upper 
Chamber,  Stechinsky,  Senator  Krasheninnikoff  (a 
former  judge,  known  for  the  severity  of  his  sentences 
in  political  cases).  Senator  Beletzky  (the  Commandant 
of  the  Palace  in  Tzarskoe  Selo),  Prince  Poutiatine  (his 
assistant).  Colonel  Welitchkovsky,  General  Griinwald, 
Senator  Dobrocolsky,  General  Habaloff,  the  Police 
Prefect,  General  Balk,  Senator  Klimovitch,  to  name 
only  a  few. 

The  Prime  Minister,  Prince  Golitzine,  was  arrested 
for  only  a  few  days.  In  the  provinces  there  were 
likewise  many  arrests,  and  the  excesses  committed 
were  even  greater  than  in  Petrograd.  The  Governor 
of  Tver,  M.  Nicholas  Biinting,  was  killed,  and  the 
Governor  of  Vologda,  M.  Crighton,  had  his  leg 
broken,  and  his  wife's  hair  was  pulled  out  in  hand- 
fuls.  In  Helsingfors  and  in  Cronstadt  the  excesses 
amongst  the  sailors  were  terrible,  but  one  knows 
nothing  definite  of  what  happened  there. 

The  incarcerated  statesmen  of  the  former  Govern- 
ment are  accused  by  the  sociaHsts  of  a  deeply  laid 
plan  to  widen  the  frontiers  of  Russia.     Because  of 


RUSSIA'S  EVIL  GENIUS  i6i 

this  alleged  Imperialistic  avidity,  the  war  is  continued 
and  the  blood  of  the  Russian  people  is  being  shed 
in  torrents,  for  reasons  best  known  to  themselves. 
It  suits  the  policy  of  the  socialists  to  forget  that  the 
war  was  not  desired  by  the  Russian  Government,  and 
the  "  Right  "  was  extremely  averse  to  a  conflict 
with  Germany. 

As  a  matter  of  fact  this  is  what  is  alleged  to  have 
occurred :  Long  before  the  war  commenced,  General 
Soukhomlinoff,  incited  by  personal  motives  of  greed, 
exerted  his  energy  to  weaken  the  country.  On  the 
chance  of  a  possible  armed  strife  with  Germany,  he 
took  care  to  facilitate  the  enemy's  ingress  by  dis- 
mantling and  blowing  up  several  forts  on  the  Russian 
side  of  the  Prussian  frontier,  which  had  they  existed 
would  have  strengthened  the  defence  of  the  Russian 
positions.  The  western  forts  of  Warsaw  were 
likewise  destroyed  and  the  work  of  destruction 
entrusted  to  a  German  firm,  thus  forging  another 
link  in  Soukhomlimoff's  accusations,  that  of  paying 
millions  of  Russian  money  into  German  hands  to 
accomplish  this  nefarious  design. 

Soukhomlinoff  kept  two  German  spies  in  his  close 
vicinity,  Miassoyedoff,  the  Prussian,  and  Altschiller, 
the  Austrian  agent.  Both  of  them  had  free  access 
to  the  War  Office,  and  to  the  Minister's  private 
study.  No  secrets  were  withheld  from  them,  and  it 
is  said  the.  General's  private  banking  account 
increased  in  the  same  measure  as  the  intimacy  grew. 

The  interior  roots  of  the  country  were  steadily 
sapped  by  a  systematic  undermining  of  one  of  the 
greatest  moral  mainsprings  of  the  Government— 
the  dispensation  of  justice.-    The  independent  judges 


i62      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

were  removed,  criminal  trials  based  on  forgeries, 
perjury  and  provocation,  were  artificially  created  ; 
no  respect  was  shown  to  the  existing  laws.  The 
former  Minister  of  Justice  is  accused  of  having 
wilfully  tampered  with  the  corpus  delicti  of  the 
following  trials :  The  Wyborg  declaration  (after 
the  dissolution  of  the  first  Duma),  the  indictment  of 
the  Armenian  patriots,  two  accusations  of  the 
socialistic  members  of  the  former  Duma,  the 
supposed  attempt  on  Count  Witte's  life,  the  murders 
of  Tollos,  Henzenstein  and  Karavaeff,  as  well  as 
according  full  pardon  to  false  witnesses,  burglars  and 
thieves,  if  they  wore  on  their  sleeve  the  badge  of  the 
"  Russian  People's  Alliance."  The  members  of  this 
association  were  considered  by  the  former  Govern- 
ment as  pillars  of  the  country,  and  their  staunch 
allegiance  to  the  Monarchy  rendered  them  un- 
impeachable in  all  other  respects. 

Those  responsible  for  all  this  looked  with  a 
jaundiced  eye  on  the  progressive  friendship  between 
Russia  and  France.  All  their  endeavours  contributed 
to  detach  Russia  from  the  alliance  with  France, 
for  they  considered  that  an  alliance  with  a  republican 
government  could  only  bring  harm  to  the  monarch- 
ical principle.  All  manifestation  of  freedom  of 
thought  were  suppressed  during  the  war,  and 
strenuous  efforts  were  made  to  direct  public  opinion 
in  favour  of  a  separate  peace. 

M.  Stiirmer  was  always  considered  a  staunch 
monarchist.  A  Gernian  by  birth  he  is  accused  (but 
it  remains  to  be  proved)  of  having  remained  in  the 
Kaiser's  pay,  '  impeding  the  country's  defence- 
organization,  directing  his  tactics  to  incite,  public 


MADAME  SOUKOMLINOFF 
THE   WIFE   OF  THE   EX-MINISTER   OF   WAR 


RUSSIA'S  EVIL  GENIUS  163 

opinion  against  the  Allies,  hoping  by  adhering  to  this 
policy  to  attain  the  desired  goal — a  separate  peace 
with  his  fatherland. 

The  German  Kaiser  was  the  idol  of  the  fanatical 
partisans  of  monarchism,  they  saw  in  him  the  surest 
support  of  absolute  power.  In  their  prejudiced 
eye  war  with  Germany  seemed  a  calamity,  threatening 
disaster  to  the  Dynasty  and  to  the  order  of  things 
in  this  country.  This  was  the  keynote  of  their 
policy,  and  explains  their  equivocal  attitude  during 
the  war.  Needless  to  add  that  these  ultra-mon- 
archists formed  the  great  minority  of  the  party, 
for  most  of  the  "Rights"  were  glad  of  the  op- 
portunity to  shake  off  the  German  yoke,  and  welcome 
the  hope  of  a  future  close  alliance  and  political 
friendship  with  our  splendid  Allies. 

The  members  of  the  Right  were  likewise  dis- 
pleased with  Nicholas  II.  They  harboured  the 
resentment  against  the  Monarch,  for  not  giving  them 
the  moral  support  to  which  they  considered  them- 
selves entitled  because  of  their  staunch  partisanship 
of  royalty  and  loyalty.  The  Monarchists  blame 
Nicholas  II  for  having  given  his  consent  in  1905  to 
the  convocation  of  the  State  Duma,  which  is  quite 
alien  to  the  Russian  national  spirit,  departing 
from  the  principle  that  every  Monarch  belonging  to  a 
Dynasty  elected  by  the  nation  (like  the  Romanoffs) 
is  the  temporary  holder  of  power,  which  he  is  obliged 
to  transmit  to  his  lawful  heir  in  the  same  form  and 
extent  as  it  was  given  over  to  him  by  his  ancestors. 
The  Monarchists  affirm  that  the  autocratic  Tzar, 
Nicholas  II,  in  creating  the  semblance  of  a  Con- 
stitution, and  having  thereby  for  ever  limited  the 


i64      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

Imperial  autocratic  power,  revoked  the  only  organic 
law  of  the  country,  which  he  had  not  the  right  to 
modify  unless  the  will  of  the  nation  distinctly 
expressed  it. 

In  1613  a  deputation  consisting  of  representatives 
of  all  classes  of  the  Russian  nation  convoked  the 
Boyar  Michael  Romanoff  to  Moscow,  where  he  was 
invested  with  the  unlimited  autocratic  power  of 
Russia's  ruler.  Thus  was  the  will  of  the  nation 
which  Michael  Romanoff  accepted  in  the  presence 
of  its  representatives,  taking  the  solemn  oath,  for 
himself  and  his  descendants,  to  be  the  autocratic 
Tzar  of  All  Russia.  Consequently  the  indications 
are  manifest  of  a  treaty  morally  binding  to  both 
sides. 

If,  say  the  Monarchists,  in  the  year  1905  the 
Sovereign  commenced  to  have  doubts  as  to  the 
desirability  of  effecting  a  change  in  the  form  of 
Government,  His  Majesty  ought  to  have  followed  the 
old  Russian  custom  bequeathed  to  the  country  by 
history  and  tradition  ;  that  is,  he  should  have 
convoked  a  **  Zemski  Sobor "  in  Moscow,  in  the 
same  manner  as  if  was  done  in  olden  times,  con- 
sisting of  deputies  from  the  people,  nobility, 
merchants,  clergy  and  peasants.  Onlj''  from  such  a 
Zemski  Sobor  in  Moscow — the  heart  of  Russia — 
could  it  be  competent  to  bring  about  a  change  in  the 
form  of  government,  if  a  change  was  found  advisable. 

The  Monarchists  furthfer  affirm  .,that  a  true 
national  "  Zemski  Sobor,"  composed  for  the  most 
part  of  representatives  of  the  heart  of  Russia,  which 
up  to  this  have  only  been  slightly  contaminated  with 
revolutionary    and    socialistic    propaganda,    would 


RUSSIA'S  EVIL  GENIUS  165 

have  been  certain  to  pronounce  itself  in  favour  of  the 
periodical  convocation  of  a  Zemski  Sobor,  as  a  help 
to  the  Sovereign's  rule.  The  Sobor  would  have 
discussed  new  laws  and  given  the  Tzar  support  and 
true  information  of  all  events  and  happenings 
amongst  people  of  the  vast  Empire  of  Russia.  The 
Zemski  Sobor,  however,  would  have  remained 
exclusively  deliberative,  leaving  the  autocracy  of 
the  Russian  Tzars  unmolested. 

The  Duma,  consisting  of  representatives  of  unstable 
groups  of  the  populations  of  towns  and  provincial 
"  Zemskos "  (Country  Courts),  is  not  considered 
by  the  Monarchists  adequate  to  represent  the 
country.  They  point  out,  not  without  foundation, 
that  the  four  Dumas,  during  a  decade,  have  not  given 
the  country  a  single  statesman,  and  the  essa3^s  which 
have  since  been  made  to  give  Ministerial  nominations 
to  members  of  the  Duma  (Khvostoff  and  Protopopoff ) 
or  even  to  form  a  Cabinet  from  members  of  the 
Duma  have  not  been  successful. 

Many  of  the  atrocities  of  the  Revolution  have 
remained  ignored,  for  there  were  no  newspapers 
in  those  days,  and  the  Social  Democratic  Party 
forbade  the  mention  of  names  of  people  who  had 
been  faithful  to  the  old  Government  and  had  shown 
fight.  Some  were  killed  without  any  aggression 
on  their  .part.  General  Count  Stackelberg  was 
killed  under  the  following  circumstances.  He  and 
his  wife  (Countess  Stackelberg  is  by  birth  a  Countess 
Schouvaloff)  were  at  home  in  their  house  on  the 
Millionnaia.  Several  soldiers,  accompanied  by  a 
gaping  crowd,  came  to  fetch  and  escort  the  Count 
to  the  Army  and  Navy  Assembly  to  take  his  oath 
under  the  new  Government. 


i66      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

In  his  wife's  presence,  General  Count  Stackelberg 
gave  up  his  revolver  and  consenting  to  follow  his 
escort  left  the  room  and  went  out  into  the  hall, 
which  was  full  of  people.  A  stray  shot  was  suddenly 
fired  into  the  ceiling,  at  the  very  moment  of  the 
Count's  appearance.  Was  it  an  accidental  shot, 
or  was  it  fired  with  malevolent  intention  ?  This 
remains  shrouded  in  mystery,  but  the  shot  produced 
a  panic. 

An  awful  scene  of  confusion  ensued,  amidst 
which  the  Count  and  an  old  retainer  were  killed,  the 
house  pillaged  and  ransacked,  the  cellar  broken  into, 
and  the  most  atrocious  orgy  followed.  The  Countess 
fled  on  foot,  with  barely  a  wrap  round  her  shoulders, 
and  took  refuge  with  friends.  When  she  returned 
the  next  morning  to  her  house,  the  body  of  her 
husband  had  vanished  and  could  not  be  found  for 
several  days. 

Countess  Kleinmichel  was  amongst  the  arrested. 
She  spent  several  days  in  the  Duma,  though  later 
she  returned  to  her  own  house,  where  for  many  days 
she  was  considered  under  arrest.  For  long  years 
past  the  Countess  had  the  reputation  of  being  a 
political  agent  of  Germany.  She  is  a  clever,  highly 
cultured  woman,  a  skilful  leader  of  Society,  and  her 
conversation  is  extremely  fascinating.  She  can  be 
charming  when  it  is  necessary,  sweet  as  honey,  but 
she  can  also  be  just  the  reverse  on  occasion.  The 
Countess  is  enormously  rich,  and  this  is  at  the  root 
of  the  suspicion  she  inspires. 

When  the  former  Minister,  M.  Plehve,  was  the 
Director  of  the  Police  Department,  the  Countess, 
who  at  that  period  was  not  the  fashionable  leader 


RUSSIA'S  EVIL  GENIUS  167 

she  has  since  developed  into,  was,  so  it  was  said,  • 
under  the  surveillance  of  the  police.  Since  that 
far-removed  tirne,  the  fortunes  of  the  Countess 
have  undergone  a  wonderful  change  :  from  a  social 
nobody  she  blossomed  into  the  first  hostess  of  Petro- 
grad.  Her  house  is  one  of  the  most  luxurious- 
in  Petrograd,  her  receptions  as  brilliant  as  they 
are  frequent.  Her  salon  was  the  rendezvous  of 
foreign  diplomats  and  Russian  statesmen,  and  her 
intimacy  with  Count  and  Countess  Pourtales,  Count 
and  Countess  Dohna-Schlobitten  was  never  con- 
cealed. 

A  few  days  after  the  war  commenced,  the  rumour 
spread  all  over  the  town  that  a  search  had  been  made 
in  Countess  Kleinmichel's  house,  evidence  of  her 
guilt  found,  and  the  Countess  taken  to-  prison ; 
some  of  the  more  gruesome  scandalmongers  averred 
even  that  she  had  been  hanged.  All  these  tales 
were  false,  but  the  Countess,  whose  Germanophile 
proclivities  were  known,  remained  henceforth  the 
object  of  suspicion  and  was  one  of  the  first  to  be 
arrested. 

On  February  28th  the.  Countess  had  a  small 
dinner  party.  Prince  and  Princess  Kourakine, 
Countess  Kotzebue  -  Pilar  von  Pilchau  and  her 
daughter,  Baron  and  Baroness  Schilling  and  some 
other  guests  were  invited.  The  dinner  commenced 
cheerfully  enough,  the  conversation  naturally  cen- 
tring on  the  threatening  development  of  political 
events.  After  the  fish  had  been  served,  a  somewhat 
lengthy  pause  ensued.  Suddenly  a  scared  footman 
entered,  saying  that  the  kitchen  was  full  of  soldiers 
come  to  search  the  house  ;    they  were  meanwhile 


i68      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

eating  the  food  prepared  for  the  guests,  and  there 
was  nothing  left  to  serve. 

The  impression  of  this  announcement  was  sensa- 
tional. A  panic  took  hold  of  everyone  present. 
There  was  a  general  "  sauve  qui  pent,"  even  the 
hostess  quitting  her  house.  For  some  days  she  took 
refuge  in  the  Chinese  Legation  and  had  a  board 
put  up  in  the  hall  of  her  house  with  the  following 
inscription  printed  in  large  letters  :  "  The  Countess 
Kleinmichel  has  been  arrested  and  taken  to  the 
Duma."  But  she  could  not  hide  for  ever  ;  strata- 
gems did  not  help,  and  she  was  finally  arrested. 

Some  of  the  newspapers  have  declared  that  the 
Countess  was  an  intimate  friend  of  Alexandra 
Feodorovna,  but  that  is  untrue.  I  do  not  believe 
the  Empress  ever  saw  her  to  speak  to,  and  the  Coun- 
tess, whose  tongue  is  sharp  and  mordant,  always 
alluded  to  the  Empress  and  the  goings  on  at  Court 
in  an  extremely  mocking  way.  It  was  only  during 
the  last  two  or  three  seasons  preceding  the  war 
that  some  of  the  members  of  the  Imperial  Family 
have  occasionally  accepted  Countess  Kleinmichel 's 
invitations,  without  ever  having  been  intimate  with 
her. 

Madame  Narishkine„  nee  Countess  Toll,  was 
arrested  likewise,  but  after  a  conversation  with 
M.  Kerensky,  she  was  set  at  liberty. 

The  effect  of  her  husband's  arrest  and  the  anxiety 
his  fate  inspired,  had  a  terrible  result  on  Madame 
Stiirmer.  She  was  in  a  desperate  plight,  for  her 
servants  had  left  her,  in  consequence  of  the  repeated 
searches  that  had  been  made  of  the  apartment  and 
among  her  husband's  things.     She  remained  alone. 


RUSSIA'S  EVIL  GENIUS  169 

uncared  for  and  unattended,  in  a  large  unheated 
apartment.  The  solitude  and  the  helplessness  got 
on  her  nerves  ;  but  the  last  straw  was  a  letter  in 
which  some  officious  friend  informed  her  that  her 
husband  was  certain  to  be  sentenced  to  fifteen  years* 
penal  servitude.  That  was  too  much  to  bear, 
and  she  cut  her  throat  with  her  husband's  razor. 
Fortunately  her  groans  were  heard  and  she  was 
taken  to  the  hospital  in  time  to  have  her  life  saved, 
although  her  head  for  ever  will  remain  crooked,  for 
she  cut  several  tendons  and  sinews.  Her  one  care 
is  that  her  husband  should  not  be  informed  of  this 
occurrence. 

Without  having  the  least  sympathy  for  M.  Stiirmer, 
one  cannot  help  feeling  deeply  sorry  for  his  unhappy 
wife.  The  friends  of  her  prosperous  days  abandoned 
her,  and  even  the  many  people  who  owe  their  success 
in  life  entirely  to  her  husband,  never  thought  it 
necessary,  at  this  terrible  crisis  of  her  life,  to  go  to 
her  and  sustain  her  by  their  moral  support  and 
sympathy.  It  was  with  some  difficulty  that  a 
sister  of  mercy  was  found  willing  to  stay  with 
Madame  Stiirmer  and  nurse  her.  Sic  transit  gloria 
mundi  ! 

General  Riemann  and  his  wife  were  arrested  on 
their  way  to  Norway.  Twelve  years  ago  General 
Riemann  was  a  colonel  in  the  Semenovsky  Regiment 
and  the  right  hand  of  General  Mine*.  Their  activity 
in  subduing  the  riots  of  1905-6  is  still  vindictively 
remembered. 

The  sudden  political  development  of  the  work- 

*  General  Mine  was  killed  in  Peterhof  about  a  year  or  two  subsequently 
by  a  young  woman,  Tcbesnokova. 


170      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

men's  strikes  frightened  many  people  into  taking 
effective  precautionarj^  measures.  The  famous 
ballet-dancer  Madame  Kshessinsky  was  among  the 
number.  The  gifted  artiste  had  for  many  years  been 
the  friend  of  the  Grand  Duke  Serge  Mikhaelovitch, 
and  she  feared,  not  without  reason,  that  her  house 
might  become  the  scene  of  riot  and  excess.  She 
therefore  chose  to  disappear,  and  effected  her  eclipse 
in  the  most  skilful  manner.  Without  any  pre- 
liminary preparation,  she  and  her  son,  a  boy  of 
fourteen,  his  tutor  and  the  dancer  Vladimiroff,  left 
the  house  directly  after  dinner,  ostensibly  for  a 
constitutional.  Madame  Kshessinsky  had  no 
luggage  except  a  small  hand-bag.  She  told  the 
unsuspecting  servants  that  they  would  be  back  for 
tea  and  ordered  the  samovar  for  lo  o'clock.  But  the 
servants  waited  in  vain,  and  when  their  mistress 
did  not  return,  they  went  to  the  Commissariat 
(which  takes  the  place  of  the  former  police-station) 
and  reported  her  disappearance. 

When  calm  was  more  or  less  restored,  Madame 
Kshessinsky  came  to  the  Commissariat  and  declared 
that  the  rumour  of  her  disappearance  was  an 
erroneous  one,  that  she  had  only  gone  to  Finland  for 
a  change  of  air,  and  had  spent  a  few  days  in  one  of  the 
well-known  health-resorts.  During  her  absence  her 
house  had  been  broken  into  by  evil-doers,  who  had 
robbed  her  of  ever3rthing  they  could  lay  hands  on, 
and  had  ruined  the  rest.  Madame  Kshessinsky 
estimated  her  loss  at  the  sum  of  half  a  million  of 
roubles. 

The   house    is    for    the    present    uninhabitable, 
with  its  broken  windows  and  doors.     It  became  the 


RUSSIA'S  EVIL  GENIUS  171 

refuge  of  the  notorious  Lenine.  From  the  balcony 
of  the  house  he  lectured  the  populace,  expounding 
the  most  anarchical  theories,  encouraging  the  people 
to  murder  and  pillage,  inciting  their  suspicion  of  the 
new  Government,  and  holding  up  the  French 
revolution  of  1793  as  a  model  to  be  followed. 

This  Lenine*  has  quite  recently  come  to  Russia 
from  Switzerland,  where  he  emigrated  to.  The 
astonishing  fact  is  that  he  chose  to  return  to  Russia 
through  Germany.  The  German  authorities  welcomed 
his  passage  with  alacrity  and  gave  him  every  facility 
to  reach  Russia  safely.  This  makes  wise  people 
suspicious.  This  dangerous  firebrand  was  more 
dangerous  than  ever  at  the  moment  when  the 
passions  had  not  abated  and  were  easily  brought  to 
boiling  point :  was  he  not  an  emissary  of  Germany 
intent  on  provoking  fresh  disturbances  and  producing 
more  bloodshed  ?  M.  Lenine  was  actively  engaged 
in  forming  a  new  party,  which  he  called. "  the  party 
of  the  Communists." 

The  downfall  of  the  Monarchy  has  caused  the 
upheaval  of  everything  all  over  the  country.  The 
very  basis  of  social  life  is  destroyed,  the  former 
system  and  the  old  organizations  exist  on  longer. 
Russia  is  in  an  embryo  condition,  and  the  question 
is  what  direction  will  the  new  development  take, 
where  are  the  country  and  its  Government  being 
led  to  ?  The  Revolution  and  its  consequences  were 
brought  on  by  the  masses,  but  the  flame  was  lit  from 
above.     The  Duma  was  the  first  to  lift  the  banner  of 

*  Some  people  who  know  all  about  Lenine's  antecedents  stat'^  that 
Lenine  is  a  pseudon3rm;  that  his  real  patronymic  is  von  Lehmann,  and  that 
he  is  a  German. 


172      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

revolution,  but  the  way  was  paved  for  them  in  still 
higher  spheres,  and  the  shot  that  killed  Rasputine 
on  December  17th,  1916,  was  the  first  shot  fired  into 
the  Monarchy  of  Russia. 


CHAPTER   IX 

THE   BLOOD   OF  THE   ROMANOFFS 

ELIVERED  of  the  Romanoff  Dynasty, 
people  are  inclined  to  look  upon  the  past 
with  scepticism,  and  the  question  arises 
involuntarily : 

"What  right  has  the  Imperial  Family  of  usurping 
the  Russian  name  of  Romanoff,  when  their  origin 
is  clearly  German,  and  not  a  drop  of  the  Romanoff 
blood  flows  in  their  veins  ?  *' 

The  last  scion  of  the  Romanoff  Dynasty,  the 
Empress  Elisabeth  Petrovna,  died  in  1760,  and 
even  she  was  not  flawless,  for  she  was  Peter  the 
Great's  illegitimate  daughter,  bom  out  of  wedlock 
and  acknowledged  after  the  Tzar's  marriage  with 
Catherine  Scavronsky,  the  child's  mother,  known 
eventually  as  Catherine  I. 

Catherine  Scavronsky  was  a  young  woman  of 
obscure  origin  who  married  a  Swedish  soldier. 
During  the  war  between  Russia  and  Sweden,  after 
the  surrender  of  Marienburg  (1702),  she  was  taken 
captive.  Prince  Menshikoff  saw  her  and  was  en- 
raptured with  her  beauty,  but  when  he  saw  the 
infatuation  of  his  Imperial  master,  he  gave  her  up 
to  the  Tzar,  and  she  lived  with  him  for  many  years, 
followed  him  in  all  his  campaigns,  and  bore  him 

173 


174      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS       . 
several    children.      Eventually    Peter    the    Great 
married  her  and  had  her  crowned  in  Moscow  in 
1724. 

It  was  Catherine  Scavronsky  who,  in  1711,  saved 
the  Tzar  from  the  captivity  he  was  held  in  by  the 
Turks,  on  the  shores  of  the  river  Pruth.  She  was 
so  skilful  in  her  dealings  with  the  enemy  that,  by 
giving  up  all  the  jewels  she  possessed,  she  succeeded 
in  driving  a  bargain  with  the  Great  Vizir  and  bribed 
him  to  retreat.  Peter  I  never  forgot  that  he  owed 
his  safety  and  the  escape  from  a  distressing  position 
to  the  firm  stand  she  took  and  the  clever  way  she 
managed  the  affair.  It  was  in  her  honour,  and  to 
commemorate  this  valiant  feat,  that  the  Tzar  founded 
in  1714  the  Order  of  St.  Catherine  for  ladies. 

When  the  Empress  Elisabeth  was  getting  on  in 
years,  she  sent  for  the  son  of  her  eldest  sister,  the 
Grand  Duchess  Anna  Petrovna,  married  to  the 
Duke  Frederic  of  Holstein  Gothorp,  intent  on  making 
him  the  Heir  to  the  Throne.  The  young  Duke 
Peter  of  Holstein  Gothorp  came  over  to  the  capital. 
In  the  course  of  time  he  became  a  member  of  the 
Greek  Orthodox  Church,  and  was  henceforth  known 
as  the  Grand  Duke  Peter  Fedorovitch.  The  future 
Tzar  appreciated  the  prospect  of  reigning  in  Russia, 
but  he  never  concealed  his  contempt  for  his  future 
subjects  and  his  devotion  to  Germany.  The  Grand 
Duke  was  married  to  Princess  Sophia  Dorothea 
of  Anhalt-Zerbst,  who,  on  being  received  into  the 
bosom  of  the  Greek  Church,  adopted  the  name 
of  Catherine,  subsequently  known  as  Catherine  II, 
the  Northern  Semiramis.  There  was  only  one  son 
from  this  marriage,  the  future  Emperor  Paul,  the 


THE  BLOOD  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS    175 

ancestor  of  the  Dynasty  of  future  Russian  Em- 
perors. 

From  a  physiological  point  of  view  the  few  drops 
of  Romanoff  blood  that  flowed  in  the  veins  of  the 
Emperor  Paul  were  inherited  from  his  paternal 
grandmother.  But  Russian  historians  state  that 
Paul  was  not  his  father's  son.  Some  regard  him 
as  the  son  of  Prince  Saltykoff,  others  of  Prince 
Poniatovsky.  There  is  still  another  version  of  the 
infant's  birth,  which  however  has  never  been 
proved  by  facts.  It  is  that  the  Grand  Duchess 
Catherine  gave  birth  to  a  still-bom  daughter. 
The  Empress  Elisabeth,  in  the  hereditary  interests 
of  the  Throne,  had  it  secretly  removed  and  replaced 
by  a  healthy  boy.  This  would  explain  the  reason 
why  the  Empress  Elisabeth  surrounded  the  first 
days  of  her  grand-nephew's  birth  with  such  mystery, 
and  the  dislike,  amounting  to  aversion,  that  his 
mother  felt  for  him. 

In  the  reign  of  Alexander  I,  a  Finnish  peasant 
family  was  designated  as  that  from  which  the 
future  Emperor  Paul  was  taken  and  brought  into 
the  Palace.  The  father  of  this  Finnish  family 
was  the  living  image  of  the  late  Tzar,  and  was 
positive  in  his  belief  that  the  Tzar  had  been  his 
brother.  The  face  of  Paul  I  was  extremely  plain- 
featured  and  coarse  ;  he  had  absolutely  nothing 
in  common,  either  with  the  Empress  Catherine, 
Saltykoff,  or  Poniatovsky.  But  even  admitting 
this  story  to  be  a  legend,  the  Emperor  in  that  case 
remained  a  Holstein  Gothorp  and  not  a  Romanoff. 

As  a  matter  of  fact  the  origin  of  Paul  I  was  never 
definitely  established.     But  be  he  Holstein  Gothorp 


M 


376      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

Saltykoff,  Poniatovsky,  or  even  an  obscure  Finn, 
he  was  the  stock  from  which  descended  the  Dynasty 
of  Russian  Emperors  who  have  ruled  Russia  for 
one  hundred  and  sixteen  years.  Modern  historians 
incHne  to  draw  a  parallel  between  the  reigns  of 
Paul  I  and  Nicholas  IL  Paul  I  was  the  first 
monarch  of  the  so-called  Romanoff  lineage  to  fall ; 
Nicholas  II  the  last  Tzar  of  the  overthrown  Dynasty. 
Both  Sovereigns  fell  with  startling  celerity,  only 
the  circumstances  of  the  last  Emperor  were  more 
fortunate,  for  he  was  surrounded  by  human  beings 
of  the  cultured  twentieth  century,  with  moderated 
feelings,  far  removed  from  the  inclination  to  put 
into  action  the  famous  gold  snuff-box  of  Nicholas 
Zouboff,  or  the  scarf  of  Prince  Jashvill. 

M.  Burtzeff,  in  his  book  of  historical  references, 
reverts  to  the  murder  of  the  Emperor  Paul  as  to 
the  starting-point  of  Russia's  emancipation  move- 
ment, which  lasted  over  a  century,  ending  in  the 
final  overthrow  of  the  Monarchy.  The  partisans 
of  independent  liberty  therefore  deny  that  the 
Russian  Revolution  is  newly  fledged,  but-  consider 
that  it  has  entered  upon  its  hundred  and  seven- 
teenth year.  One  hundred  and  sixteen  years,  in- 
dividually taken,  is  a  long  span  of  time,  but  in  the 
life  of  a  nation  the  term  is  inconsiderable.  That  is 
why,  like  the  rest  of  Russia's  progressive  develop- 
ments, her  revolution  must  likewise  be  regarded 
as  immature.  In  looking  back  to  a  hundred  years 
ago,  one  can  only  marvel  at  the  rapid  emancipation 
of  mind,  and  at  the  awakened  political  consciousness. 

History  repeats  itself  occasionally,  and  a  certain 
analogy  between  the  Courts  of  the  two  dethroned 


THE  BLOOD  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS     177 

Sovereigns  must  be  acknowledged.  The  Court  of  the 
Emperor  Paul  was  eminently  German.  His  Consort, 
a  Princess  of  Wiirtemberg  by  birth,  the  Empress 
Marie,  was  thoroughly  imbued  with  German  views, 
tastes  and  proclivities.  She  was  surrounded  by 
German  courtiers,  and  all  her  endeavours  were 
directed  to  further  Germ.an  interests,  political  as  well 
as  commercial.  Intrigues  against  France  and  Great 
Britain  were  going  on  the  whole  time,  and  found  the 
strongest  support  in  the  Empress  Marie  Feodorovna. 
Petticoat  Government  was  the  order  of  the  day 
at  the  Court  of  Paul  as  it  was  at  the  Court  of 
Nicholas,  with  the  difference  that  in  the  present 
instance  the  Empress  Alexandra  led  the  show,  whilst 
at  Paul's  Court  there  was  a  multitude  of  petticoats. 

The  principal  influence  of  that  bygone  time 
belonged  to  Her  Majesty's  lady-in-waiting.  Mile. 
Nelidoff.  Her  power  was  strengthened  because  her 
Imperial  mistress  sided  with  her,  and  both  ladies 
formed  an  alliance  to  support  each  other.  When 
Mile.  Nelidoff  was  supplanted  by  Mile.  Lo.poukhine 
(married  subsequently  to  Prince  Gagarine),  the 
Empress  manifested  her  displeasure  by  a  protracted 
period  of  sulks. 

Here  ends  the  similarity,  for  although  the  writers 
of  the  present  hour  try  to  establish  a  moral  likeness 
between  the  two  Sovereigns,  their  arguments  cannot 
stand  the  test  of  logic  and  truth,  and  are  inspired  by 
principles  of  personal  hostilitj'- :  Paul's  nature  was  a 
warped  and  fantastical  one,  he  was  liable  to  ungovern- 
able fits  of  passion,  bordering  on  insanity,  with  rare 
flashes  of  kindness  and  generosity.  He  was  jealous 
and  envious,  which  sentiments  he  nurtured  towards 


178      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

his  mother,  the  Empress  Catherine  II,  and  his  Heir 
the  Tzessarevitch  Alexander.  Even  his  wife's 
popularity  caused  him  displeasure. 

Paul  was  coarse  and  brutal,  a  bad  husband  and  an 
indifferent  father ;  whereas  Nicholas  has  a  chivalrous 
nature — ^he  is  kind,  generous  and  gentle -tempered. 
He  has  not  a  spark  of  envy  or  jealousy  in  his 
disposition,  and  his  devotion  to  his  wife,  his  mother 
and  his  children  is  beyond  all  doubt.  The  only 
feature  the  two  monarchs  have  in  common  is  the 
suspiciousness  inherent  to  both.  The  want  of  mental 
stamina  and  strength  of  will  were  the  Tzar  Nicholas's 
undoing.  Paul  succumbed  to  the  revolting  vagaries 
of  an  undisciplined  nature,  which  manifested  itself 
in  irresponsible  acts  of  wanton  cruelty. 

The  Emperor  Paul  w^as  strangled  by  Count 
Pahlen  when  he  was  on  the  verge  of  discarding  his 
wife  and  imprisoning  the  Tzessarevitch  Alexander, 
in  whom  he  constantly  saw  a  dangerous  rival  to  his 
power.  The  strange  favour  the  Emperor  Paul 
accorded  to  his  barber,  Koutaissoff,  is  an  instance 
of  his  eccentricity.  This  simple  uneducated  man 
of  the  lower  classes  was  enriched  by  the  Tzar,  and 
suddenly  uplifted  to  be  an  important  Court  func- 
tionary. He  was  granted  the  title  of  Count,  and  is 
the  ancestor  of  the  present  Count  Koutaissoff. 
The  ex-barber  wielded  a  strong  influence  and  pulled 
the  wires  of  many  intrigues  that  were  going  on  in 
the  Sovereign's  vicinity. 

The  Emperor  Nicholas  II  is  reproached  for  his  lack 
of  emotion  and  moral  receptiveness,  and  for  his 
utter  indifference  to  outward  impressions.  But 
people  forget  that  the  former  Sovereign  received  the 


THE  BLOOD  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS     179 

training  of  a  gentleman  who  scorns  to  wear  his  heart 
on  his  sleeve  for  ravens  to  peck  at.  But  the  average 
Russian,  be  he  ever  so  learned,  has  only  a  vague 
conception  of  the  rules  and  requirements  of  breeding. 
A  well  bred  gentleman,  who  exercises  self-restraint 
and  does  not  flourish  his  inmost  feelings  before  the 
public,  is  misunderstood ;  but  a  man,  whose 
sentiments  are  less  under  control,  would  appeal 
to  them.  The  ex-Tzar  comes  nearer  the  British 
public-school  idea. 

One  of  the  most  irreconcilable  antagonists  of  the 
dethroned  Sovereign  says  in  a  recent  article  about 
the  Empress  :  "  Alexandra  Feodorovna  is  an  in- 
teresting type  for  future  psychologists,  historians 
and  dramatic  anthers.  She  will  give  them  ample 
food  for  their  hypotheses :  a  German  Princess, 
educated  in  England,  on  the  Russian  Throne,  a 
convert  to  a  peasant's  religious  sect,  and  an  adept 
at  occultism.  Such  a  phenomenon  occurs  seldom 
in  the  pages  of  history,  and  is  met  for  the  first, 
and  fortunately  the  last,  time  on  the  Throne  of 
Russia.  Alexandra  Feodorovna  is  a  more  compli- 
cated and  dangerous  personality  than  her  husband, 
and  Russia  can  be  considered  lucky  to  have  escaped 
so  cheaply.  She  is  made  of  the  substance  that 
those  terrible,  tyrannical  Princesses  of  the  XV-XVII 
centuries  in  the  western  countries  of  Europe  were 
made  of ;  those  Princesses  -  who  united  in  their 
personality  the  despot  Sovereign,  bordering  on  the 
witch  and  skirting  the  fanatical  visionary,  who 
were  completely  in  the  hands  of  their  reactionary 
advisers,  their  wizard-doctors  and  their  insinuating 
wily  confessors." 


i8o      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

The  same  writer,  who  cannot  be  accused  of  being 
charitably  inclined  tov/ards  the  former  Empress, 
certifies  that  he  has  read  several  of  her  letters  to 
Rasputine,  but  that  not  one  of  them  gives  the 
slightest  foundation  for  the  ugly  slanders  that  have 
been  heaped  on  this  most  fatal  and  unfortunate 
of  women.  The  writer  says  that  not  for  a  moment 
"does  he  believe  these  calumnies,  which  are  spread 
and  supported  by  vindictive  rumour,  and  which 
will  be  credited  for  a  long  time  to  come.  He  is 
convinced  that  the  Empress's  infatuation  for  the 
staretz  Rasputine  originated  from  a  purely  mystical 
point  of  view,  but  he  adds  that  for  Russia's  felicity, 
it  would  have  been  better  if  she  had  succumbed 
to  the  many  frailties  which  were  attributed  to 
Catherine  II,  whom  the  Empress  Alexandra  admired 
and  wished  to  emulate.  This  quotation  gives  the 
keynote  to  the  public  opinion  of  the  Empress 
Alexandra. 

The  Emperor  Alexander  I  had  been  carefully 
trained  by  his  grandmother,  the  Empress  Catherine 
II,  who  took  both  her  elder  grandsons,  Alexander 
and  Constantine,  from  their  parents  and  had  them 
educated  under  her  own  eye.  A  pronounced  strain 
of  mysticism  was  inherent  in  Alexander's  nature, 
and  was  strengthened  and  intensified  by  his  close 
friendship  with  the  Baroness  Kriidner  of  well-known 
fame.  These  mystical  propensities  of  Alexander  I 
engendered  the  legend,  which  even  now  is  implicitly 
believed  by  the  people,  that  Alexander  I  did  not 
die  in  Taganrog  in  1825.  Another  was  buried  in 
his  stead,  a:  id  the  Tzar  disappeared  from  the  world, 
living  henceforth  as  a  hermit  in  the  wilds  of  Siberia, 


THE  BLOOD  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS     i8i 

under  the  name  of  "  Feodor  Kuzmitch,"  where  he 
died  after  attaining  a  venerable  old  age. 

Alexander  I  inaugurated  his  reign  with  many 
liberal  acts.  Those  whom  his  father  had  banished 
were  permitted  to  return,  he  suppressed  the  cen- 
sorship, diminished  the  taxes,  suspended  confisca- 
tions, granted  Poland  a  constitutional  government, 
etc.  But  during  the  last  years  of  his  life  his  ideas 
changed,  he  became  retrogressive  and  revoked  many 
of  his  liberal  acts.  Although  Alexander  I  earned 
the  surname  of  "  the  "Blessed,"  he  is  more  appre- 
ciated by  foreign  historians  than  by  the  Russian 
biographers.  The  latter  give  him  the  character 
of  insincerity  and  dissimulation.  His  reign  was  a 
peaceful  one  as  regards  the  inner  life  of  the  country. 
Russia  was  so  taken  up  at  the  time  with  the  Napole- 
onic wars  that  she  had  no  time  to  give  to  dreams  and 
aspirations.  The  young  generation,  however,  was 
hoping  to  change  the  existing  order  of  things,  but 
their  conspiracy  was  discovered  in  the  first  days  of 
Nicholas  I's  reign. 

Nicholas  I  was  his  brother's  junior  by  seventeen 
years.  Except  her  two  elder  sons,  who  had  been 
estranged  from  her  from  their  birth,  the  children' 
of  the  Tzessarevna,  Marie  Feodorovna  (the  wife 
of  Paul),  were  all  daughters.  She  therefore  wel- 
comed with  rapture  the  advent  of  a  son.  When 
the  Empress  Catherine  II  came  to  see  her  new 
grandson,  she  was  struck  by  the  wonderful  beauty 
of  the  young  Nicholas,  and  even  hesitated  to  leave 
him  with  his  mother,  but  in  the  moment,  whilst 
his  fate  was  in  the  balance  in  his  powerful  grand- 
mother's hands,   the  unconscious   babe   set   up   a 


i82      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

disconsolate  wail,  and  the  disgusted  Empress  hast- 
ened to  give  him  up  to  his  mother,  whose  favourite 
child  he  became. 

The  Empress  Marie  Feodorovna  had  a  thoroughly 
German  tuition  given  to  her  son  Nicholas,  and  to 
his  younger  brother  Michael.  Their  bringing  up 
and  education  were  confided  to  Princess  Lieven  and 
Count  Lamsdorf,  and  the  two  younger  brothers 
had  not  the  same  educational  advantages  as  their 
elder  brothers,  Alexander  and  Constantine.  Sub- 
sequently the  Grand  Duke  Nicholas  married  Princess 
Charlotte  of  Prussia,  this  alliance  only  strengthening 
his  German  proclivities.  He  loved  Russia  passion- 
ately, and  was  sincere  in  his  endeavours  to  protect 
the  country's  interests,  but  he  acted  according  to 
his  lights,  and  he  was  honestly  confident  that  only 
a  close  alliance  with  Germany  could  bring  Russia 
security  and  prosperity. 

In  his  reign  Petrograd  swarmed  with  Germans 
and  their  influence  was  omnipotent.  Nicholas  I 
was  a  convinced  autocrat  and  legitimist.  Any 
attempt  at  insubordination  inspired  him  with  deep 
indignation,  and  he  ruled  the  nation  with  a  rod  of 
iron.  His  prejudice  against  France  was  an  estab- 
lished fact,  not  that  he  disliked  the  Frenchmen,  but 
he  disapproved  of  their  turbulence  and  revolutionary 
inclinations.  He  inherited  his  mother's  prejudice 
for  the  Bonapartes  and  regarded  Napoleon  as  a 
usurper  and  an  upstart. 

Political  disturbances  marred  the  dawning  days 
of  his  reign,  but  he  kept  down  the  unruly  element 
with  a  heavy  hand.  Still  the  seeds  of  revolution 
were  sown  and  the  unruly  sprouts  were  shooting  up. 


.    THE  BLOOD  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS     183 

In  the  reign  of  Alexander  II  the  revolutionary  move- 
ment made  gigantic  strides,  but  Alexander  I 
forcibly  met  it  by  a  series  of  repressive  measures. 

After  his  death  the  emancipation  movement 
progressed  steadily  for  twenty-two  years,  gradualty 
gaining  strength,  whilst  the  Government,  on  the 
contrary,  was  slowly  weakening.  The  Duma  helped 
to  mature  people's  minds,  taught  them  to  argue 
with  the  Government  and  publicly  criticize  its 
actions.  The  devastating  war  with  Germany 
brought  things  to  a  climax,  and  the  insolvency 
revealed  by  the  military  preparations  was  the  last 
blow  to  the  old  regime,  and  gave  the  necessary 
impulse  to  the  impending  revolution. 

The  Allies  may  have  felt  some  displeasure  with 
the  Russians  for  thus  suddenly  overhauling  the 
existing  system  of  government  and  dethroning  the 
reigning  monarch.  The  moment  may  have  seemed 
to  them  unpropitious  for  such  a  momentous  change. 
They  may  have  argued  that  Russia  might  have  waited 
till  the  war  was  over  before  bringing  about  the 
change  that  shook  the  whole  nation  from  one  end 
Qf  the  country  to  another.  But  if  the  Allies  had 
witnessed  all  that  went  on  in  Russia  for  the  last  three 
or  four  months,  they  would  have  agreed  that  not  a 
moment  was  to  be  lost,  that  an  immediate  revolution 
was  the  only  solution,  the  one  way  to  get  Russia 
out  of  the  quagmire,  where  the  Empress  Alexandra 
and  her  satellites  had  landed  her. 

Her  Majesty  was  determined  to  bring  about  an 
independent  peace  with  Germany.  It  is  impossible 
to  understand  what  secret  motive  made  her  strike 
out  this  dangerous  line  of  policy.     It  was  against  the 


i84      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

nation's  wish  and  interest,  it  imperilled  the  Throne 
of  her  husband  and  son.  Admitting  even  that  she 
was  not  fond  of  Russia,  her  devotion  to  her  son  is 
above  all  suspicion,  and  an  ambitious  woman  like 
the  ex-Empress  Alexandra  would  scarcely  willingly 
sacrifice  her  son's  future  to  her  allegiance  to  Germany. 
It  is  a  mystery  that  only  the  future  will  solve.  But* 
the  irretrievable  fact  remains  that  Alexandra  Feo- 
dorovna  wanted  peace  at  all  costs,  and  was  resolved 
to  bring  the  war  to  an  end  in  the  shortest  possible 
time,  regardless  of  the  detriment  to  the  Allies. 

The  Tzar  was  against  this  plan,  but  would  not 
have  been  firm  enough  to  sustain  a  long  resistance. 
His  wife  and  her  Germanophile  friends  would  have 
persuaded  him  that  his  sacred  duty  to  the  country 
demanded  the  sacrifice  of  his  pride  and  the  cessation 
of  bloodshed  and  strife.  '  Reluctantly  perhaps,  but 
the  Tzar  would  ultimately  have  given  in.  What 
would  have  happened  after  this  premature  con- 
clusion of  peace  ?  What  would  have  become  of  the 
country  in  these  humiliating  circumstances  ?  France 
and  England  would  have  been  for  ever  alienated. 
All  the  bloodshed  and  misery  would  have  been  in 
vain.  The  nation's  aim  would  have  been  pitilessly 
frustrated,  for  isolated  Russia  could  have  no  other 
course  open  to  her  than  that  of  once  more  fraternizing 
with  the  detested  Germans.  They  would  have  been 
forced  to  submit  to  the  Teuton's  commercial  thraldom 
and  have  their  lands,  their  banks,  their  own  industries 
once  more  controlled  by  Germans,  those  same 
Germans  who  for  years  sponged  upon  Russia,  but 
deserted  her  in  her  hour  of  need  and  proved  her 
bitterest   enemies ;    for  they  used  the  knowledge 


THE  BLOOD  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS     185 

they  had  gained  to  bring  harm  to  the  country  that 
had  accorded  them  such  wide  hospitality. 

Is  it  to  be  wondered  at,  when  one  thinks  of  this 
danger,  that  when  the  thunder-cloud  was  darkening 
Russia's  horizon,  the  nation  revolted  and  decided 
to  throw  off  the  yoke  of  Tzardom  ? 

The  first  Revolutionary  Government  was  a 
transitory  one,  and  it  is  only  after  the  war  that  the 
form  of  Russia's  future  government  will  be  decided 
by  votes  of  a  National  Assembty.  There  is  no  use  in 
deluding  oneself  with  false  hopes.  The  present 
state  of  mind  of  the  populace  points  out  clearly 
that  Holy  Russia  will  be  transformed  into  a  Republic, 
at  least  for  some  time.  The  Social  Revolutionists 
and  the  Social  Democrats  wjll  vote  for  a  Republican 
Government,  and  they  will  do  their  best  to  enlist 
the  peasants  on  their  side  by  promising  them  an 
increase  of  land,  giving  out  the  cry  "  Zemlia  y  Volia '' 
(Land  and  Liberty). 

Their  plan  consists  of  taking  the  land  from  the 
gentry  and  dividing  it  equally  amongst  the  repre- 
sentatives of  nobility  and  peasantry,  thus  destroying 
utterly  the  domains  and  ancestral  lands,  even  the 
entailed  ones,  belonging  to  the  members  of  Russian 
aristocracy  and  untitled  nobility  :  the  land  belong- 
ing to  the  .Imperial  appanages  and  to  the  members 
of  the  Imperial  Family  being  divided  in  a  similar 
manner.  The  private  property  of  the  Emperor 
and  of  the  Imperial  Family  is  also  to  be  confiscated. 

People  with  well-balanced  minds,  real  patriotism 
and  true  love  of  their  country  dread  the  result 
of  these  socialistic  reforms,  and  hope  for  the  restora- 
tion of  the  Monarchy  on  improved  and  renovated 


i86      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

foundations.  They  are  convinced  that  any  attempt 
to  make  Russia  republican  would  be  suicidal,  proving 
that  the  Social* Revolutionists  and  Social  Democrats 
have  gained  the  upper  hand,  which  would  mean 
woe  to  the  country.  If  that  contingency  arises, 
Russia  will  out-Herod  Herod  in  her  democracy. 
She  will  give  points  even  to  Mexico.  Too  much 
liberty  is  not  good  for  the  Russian  people.  They 
want  a  firm  hand  to  keep  them  straight. 

The  following  instance,  which  is  based  on  fact 
and  not  on  rumour,  is  a  convincing  proof  of  the  truth 
of  this  statement.  After  the  excesses  at  Cronstadt, 
which  cost  the  lives  of  so  many  gallant  officers, 
a  deputation  of  sailors  came  to  the  War  Ministry, 
and  in  the  absence  of  M.  Gutchkoff  was  received  by 
his  assistant.  The  sailors  came  to  implore  that  a 
chief  might  be  appointed  to  them  as  quickly  as 
possible,  for  they  felt  the  anarchy  that  was  going 
on  at  Cronstadt  would  lead  to  chaos. 

"  Whom  can  we  appoint  ?  "  the  Minister's  assistant 
asked.  "  You  have  killed  so  many  of  your  admirals 
and  superior  officers,  and  have  had  the  others 
arrested.     Our  choice  is  very  limited." 

He  then  named  several  well-known  admirals. 
Some  of  the  objections  formulsLted  by  the  sailors 
were  : 

"  No,  this  one  is  too  kind-hearted."  "  That  one 
is  not  strict  enough,"  and  so  on,  adding  :  "  We 
want  a  commander  who  will  be  very  strict,  but 
just  and  impartial." 

If  these  sailors  are  to  be  believed,  many  of  those 
who  incited  them  to  excesses  during  the  tragic 
days  in  Cronstadt  did  not  belong  to  them,  but  were 


THE  BLOOD  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS     187 

only  masquerading  as  sailors.  The  question  in- 
voluntarily arises  :  "  Were  they  Revolutionists  or 
German  agents  ?  " 

The  captivity  of  the  Imperial  prisoners  is  becoming 
very  restricted.  Only  a  few  rooms  have  been  left 
at  their  disposal,  and  the  intercourse  of  the  ex-Tzar 
and  his  wife  and  children  is  limited  to  one  interview 
a  day.  They  are  prohibited  to  converse  in  any 
foreign  language,  and  they  may  take  only  one  daily 
walk  in  the  park.  A  sentinel  is  posted  at  every 
door,  and  no  letters  are  delivered  to  the  prisoners. 
The  ex-Tzar  has  requested  that  Divine  service 
should  be  held  on  Sundays  in  the  private  chapel 
of  the  Palace.  This  wish  has  been  acceded  to. 
It  must  have  caused  him  intense  suffering  to  listen 
to  the  liturgy  for  the  first  time  and  not  hear  the 
Tzar  and  his  family  prayed  for.  Instead  of  which 
a  prayer  was  said  for  the  present  Government. 

On  the  first  Sunday,  the  children  being  still  on  the 
sick-list,  Nicholas  II  and  his  Consort  were  the  only 
members  of  the  family  who  attended  the  religious 
service.  They  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  church, 
facing  the  altar ;  the  Mistress-of-the-Robes,  Madame 
Narishkine,  the  Chief  Marshal,  Count  Benckendorff, 
and  the  Marshal  of  the  Court,  Prince  Dolgoroukoff, 
stood  behind  them.  The  sentinel  officers  filled  the 
further  end  of  the  church.  When  prayers  were 
said  for  the  country  and  the  Government  the  ex- 
Tzar  bent  his  knee. 

No  visitors  from  outside  are  admitted  to  the  Palace. 
The  captive  inmates  are  completely  isolated  from 
everyone,  and  the  courtiers,  who  attend  the  ex- 
Sovereigns,    share    the    same    fate.     An    incident 


i88      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

occurred  that  caused  the  removal  of  the  Palace 
Commandant,  Kotzebue.  One  of  the  sentinels  re- 
ported that  the  Commandant  had  taken  charge  of 
some  letters  mysteriously  confided  to  him.  The 
enquiry  instituted  revealed  that  incriminating 
letters  were  addressed  to  Prince  Kotchubey  and 
written  by  Count  Benckendorff  and  Prince  Dol- 
goroukoff,  asking  the  Prince  and  Countess  Elisabeth 
Schouvalov  to  look  after  their  affairs  and  sell  some 
shares  for  ^them,  for  in  the  existing  circumstances 
they  could  do  nothing  for  themselves.  That  was 
all ;  but  rumour  magnified  the  affair  into  an 
attempt  to  liberate  the  ex-Tzar  and  give  him  the 
chance  of  leaving  the  country. 

The  only  time  the  arrested  ex-Tzar  asked  to 
infringe  the  regulation  of  not  sending  any  letters 
or  telegrams  was  to  send  a  wire  to  General  Williams 
at  Headquarters,  with  whom  the  former  monarch 
had  always  been  on  the  friendliest  terms.  The 
request  was  granted,  and  the  following  telegram 
in  English  was  sent  to  Moheler  : 

"The    children    are    recovering.       Self    feeling    better. 
"  Greetings. 

"NlCHOL.\S." 

The  soldiers  of  the  12th  Army  brought  under  the 
Government's  notice  the  question  of  the  advis- 
ability of  incarcerating  the  ex-Tzar  in  the  Fortress 
of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul.  The  Minister  of  Justice 
and  Procurator-General,  M.  Kerensky,  explained 
to  the  soldier  delegates  that  the  ex -Tzar  is  as  well 
guarded  as  possible.  Any  attempt  at  flight  could 
only  end  in  failure,  and  that  more  rigorous  mea- 
sures applied  to  the  former  Sovereign  would  create 


THE  BLOOD  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS     189 

displeasure  among  the  Allies.  When  the  12th 
Army  heard  of  this  interference  imputed  to  them, 
they  were  aghast  and  sent  a  formal  denial  duly 
witnessed  and  signed.  In  this  they  protested 
against  the  suggestion  that  they  had  insisted  on 
the  ex-Tzar's  closer  confinement,  declaring  their 
full  trust  in  the  arrangements  of  the  Government  and 
certifying  that  the  soldiers  professing  to  have  been 
delegates  of  the  12th  Army  were  impostors. 

The  significant  changes  that  have  recently  occurred 
in  Russia  have  found  a  sympathetic  response  in 
the  democratic  feelings  of  the  Americans.  They 
have  sent  the  Committee  of  Workmen's  and  Soldiers* 
Deputies  their  most  ardent  good  wishes  and  promises 
of  unlimited  credit  and  help  of  all  kinds,  .but  should 
they  touch  a  hair  of  the  dethroned  monarch's  head, 
the  Americans  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  them. 
If  this  proviso  be  true,  the  Americans  can  only 
be  congratulated  on  their  good  feelings,  which  appeal 
to  the  hearts  of  every  true  Russian.  The  rule  of 
Nicholas  II  has  proved  inefficient ;  he  is  not  wanted 
as  a  monarch,  but  the  great  majority  of  his  former 
subjects  wish  him.  no  harm;  on  the  contrary,  a 
feeling  of  intense  relief  will  be  felt  when  he  and  his 
family  are  set  free  and  will  have  safely  quitted 
Russia.* 

Preparations  for  the  enquiry  into  the  actions  of 
the  arrested  Ministers  are  being  hurried  on.  The 
three  first  will  be  the  trials  of  Soukhomlinoff, 
Stiirmer  and  Protopopoff.  Their  trials  will  be 
sensational,  and  will  reveal  many  abuses  and  short- 

•  Since  this  was  written  the  ex-Tzar  and  his  family  have  been  transferred 
to  Siberia  as  a  precautionary  measure  against  reaction. 


190      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

comings  of  the  old  regime.  The  trials  of  Stiirmer 
and  Protopopoff  may  gravely  implicate  the  Sover- 
eigns, and  it  is  thought  probable  that  the  ex-Tzar 
and  Alexandra  Feodorovna  will  be  exposed  to  the 
ordeal  of  bearing  witness  in  public.  The  enquiry 
into  Protopopoff' s  actions  has  given  crushing 
proofs  of  his  culpability,  and  has  established  the 
fact  that  his  interview  a  year  ago  in  Stockholm 
with  the  German  diplomat,  Warburg,  was  inspired 
by  the  Germanophile  Court  party.  That  fatal  col- 
loquy was  not  a  simple  search  for  information, 
but  was  destined  to  serve  the  purposes  of  the  Court 
and  of  the  inner  enemies  of  the  country. 

A  strong  rumour  has  lately  been  current  that 
Protopopoff  will  hardly  be  able  to  stand  his  trial. 
In  the  doctor's  opinion  he  is  suffering  from  pro- 
gressive paralysis.  It  is  strange  that  no  one  noticed 
previously  that  he  was  not  in  a  normal  state. 

The  trial  following  those  of  the  ex-Ministers 
^amed  will  be  that  of  the  former  Minister  of  Justice, 
subsequently  the  President  of  the  Upper  Chamber, 
M.   Stcheglovitoff. 

M.  Stcheglovitoff  is  a'  man  of  great  intelligence, 
endowed  with  a  strong  will,  a  narrow  mind  and 
great  capacities  for  work.  For  several  3^ears  he 
occupied  the  post  of  Minister  of  Justice.  He  acted 
energetically  according  to  his  lights,  but  his  methods 
were  ultra-retrogressive.  If  the  interest  of  his 
cause  was  at  stake,  he  would  not  hesitate,  it  is  said, 
to  shuffle  the  cards  according  to  his  wishes.  When 
the  Grand  Duke  Nicholas  Mikhaelovitch  was  lately 
interviewed  about  his  impressions  of  recent  events> 
he  was  asked  :    Whose  influence,   except  that  of 


M.    STl  KMEK 


THE  BLOOD  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS    191 

the  Empress,  had  such  9,  preponderance  over  the 
Tzar  as  to  induce  him  to  use  such  retrogressive 
measures  as  has  lately  been  the  case.  The  Grand 
Duke,  who  would  have  done  well  in  this  instance 
to  remember  St.  Paul's  axiom  that  if  speech  is 
silver,  silence  is  golden,  answered  spontaneously  : 
"  Stcheglovitoff,  we  even  gave  him  the  nickname  of 
Vanka-Cain."* 

Stcheglovitoff's  arrest  is  in  a  great  part  due  to 
the  Jews,  who  are  wreaking  revenge  on  the  former 
Minister  for  the  Beylis  trial  in  the  last  months  of 
1913  in  Kiev.  The  Jewish  party  is  a  very  strong 
one  in  Russia  at  the  present  moment.  But  to  all 
intents  and  purposes;  so  it  is  rumoured,  there  is  no 
tangibly  incriminating  action  in  his  past  career 
which  could  cause  a  condemnatory  verdict. 

It  seems  incredible  that  those  who  desired  peace 
before  a  decisive  victory  had  been  achieved  over 
Germany  were  so  irresponsible  and  blind  as  not 
to  foresee  into  what  distressing  conditions  they 
were  involving  the  country. 

The  war  with  Germany  has  lasted  nearly  three 
years. 

The  superior  technical  preparation  of  our  enemies, 
and  the  wide  use  made  of  these  technical  means  of 
destruction,  called  forth  in  Russia  the  necessity  of 
developing  the  war-appliances  to  an  enormous 
extent,  requiring  a  great  monetary  outlay.  As 
Russia's  financial  resources  were  inadequate,  the 
Government  had  recourse  to  loans,and  at  the  present 
moment  the  nation's  debt  amounts  to  45  milliards 

*Vanka  is  a  derivation  from  Ivan,  employed  by  the    lower  classes. 
M.  Stcheglovitoff's  name  is  Ivan. 
•N 


192      THE  FALL  OF.THE  ROMANOFFS 

of  roubles.  These  will  require  the  yearly  payment  of 
three  milliards  for  interest.  Taking  into  considera-' 
tion  that  the  country's  yearly  Budget  was  three 
milliards  of  roubles,  it  is  evident  that  the  yearly 
expenditure  will  henceforth  be  doubled.  But  if 
one  adds  to  this  the  cost  of  reparations,  restorations, 
idemnifications,  pensions,  etc.,  rendered  necessitated 
by  the  war,  another  milliard  will  have  to  be  added. 
If  in  augmentation  of  these  seven  milliards  one 
counts  the  cost  of  improvements,  which  the  growth 
of  culture  will  require,  such  as  pubUc  instruction, 
the  sanitation  of  towns,  the  making  of  new  roads, 
etc.,  the  country's  future  Budget  must  be  estimated 
at  ten  milliards.  The  strain  to  live  up  to  such  an 
expenditure  would  be  heavy  indeed,  without  a 
highly  developed  industrial  labour. 

The  exportation  of  Russia's  raw  materials,  such 
as  grain,  leather,  wood,  etc.,  as  it  was  done  before 
the  war,  has  proved  ruinous  to  the  country.  Enor- 
mous as  Russia's  riches  are,  they  cannot  last  for  ever 
without  being  restored.  The  former  system  was  Uke 
a  grand  sale,  like  living  on  one's  capital.  This  must 
be  remedied  and  the  industrial  organizations  widely 
enlarged.  The  question  arises,  how  is  this  to  be 
accomplished  without  gaining  a  complete  victory 
over  Germany  ? 

Germany  has  a  large  national  debt  likewise,  and 
the  burden  will  be  heavier  to  bear  because  her 
population  is  inferior  to  Russia's.  She  will  therefore 
seek  to  pay  her  debt  at  the  expense  of  others.  The 
means  to  do  this  successfully,  barring  annexations 
and  indemnities,  •  will  be  the  establishment  of  trade 
of  the  most  cultivated  products  on  the  most  profitable 


THE  BLOOD  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS     193 

terms.  The  development  of  commerce  and  industry 
in  Germany  is  a  vital  question  of  her  future  well- 
being.  The  proof  of  her  safety  in  the  time  to  come 
lies  in  the  monopoly  of  commerce,  and  in  being  the 
sole  provider  of  her  neighbours  with  products  of  her 
industr^\  Her  first  aim  in  Belgium  and  in  Poland 
is  to  destroy  all  the  existing  manufactories. 

Sixty  per  cent,  ol  German  wares  were  sold  in 
Russia  prior  to  the  war.  When  the  war  is  over  she 
will  wish  to  increase  her  export,  and  if  Russia  is 
not  victorious,  if  Germany's  militarism  is  not  crushed, 
she  will  not  let  Russia  create  her  own  industry.  The 
country  will  be  gradually  exhausted  in  favour  of 
Germany,  the  people  will  suffocate  under  the  burden 
of  taxes,  all  the  earnings  will  go  to  pay  the  National 
Debt.  What  but  her  wonderful  industry  helped 
France  forty-six  years  ago  to  pay  Germany  the 
required  contribution  and  blossom  out  into  one  of  the 
richest  countries  ? 

This  war  has  proved  that  success  is  on  the  side  of 
the  more  cultured  countries,  and  if  Russia  is  not 
victorious  she  will  never  be  able  to  develop  the 
indispensable  culture  which  has  been  lacking  in 
the  country  for  so  long.  People  who  wish  the  war  to 
end  in  a  draw,  without  giving  Russia  any  benefit, 
forget  that  for  the  successful  development  of  com- 
merce, an  issue  into  the  Mediterranean  and  into  the 
oceans  is  imperative.  The  conclusion  one  comes  to 
is  that  if  we  do  not  beat  Germany,  Russia's  pro- 
gressive development  will  be  seriously  impeded. 

Apart  from  this  economic  side  of  the  matter, 
there  exists  a  moral  one.  Not  only  the  conclusion 
of  a  separate  peace,  but  even  the  discussion  of 


194      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOl-FS 

possible  conditions,  is  an  act  of  treachery  towards 
our  noble  Allies. 

Has  the  anxiety  been  forgotten  that  was  felt 
during  the  first  days  of  the  war,  when  the  question 
was  would  Great  Britain  join  the  Allies  or  not  ? 
Then  there  came  the  elation  when  it  was  known  in 
Russia  that  England  was  going  with  us  against 
Germany.  This  very  anxiety  and  the  subsequent 
gladness  proves  that  the  nation  fully  understood 
the  importance  of  Great  Britain's  decisive  step. 

This  is  the  reason  why  the  old  Government  was  so 
easily  overthrown.  The  country  felt  that  the  war 
was  carried  on  in  a  half-hearted  way,  without  the 
vigorous  energy  it  required.  That  is  why  Nicholas  II 
found  no  one  to  defend  his  Throne.  This  is  the 
justification  of  those  who  did  not  stand  up  for  their 
Tzar  ! 

A  curious  legend  is  spread  amongst  the  Russians 
in  connection  with  the  Tzar's  crown.  It  is  believed 
that  no  Sovereign  who  has  been  crowned  with  this 
crown  will  die  a  natural  death  whilst  he  remains 
Tzar  of  Russia. 

A  beautiful  emerald  shines  in  the  front  of  this 
crown.  The  French  sorcerer  Rene  (in  the  reign  of 
Louis  XVI)  is  supposed  to  have  cast  an  evil  spell 
on  this  emerald,  which  was  subsequently  acquired  by 
Catherine  11.  She  ordered  the  gem  to  be  set  in  the 
Imperial  Crown.  Paul  I,  the  first  Tzar  crowned 
in  this  crown,  was  murdered.  Alexander  I  died 
alone  and  uncared  for  in  a  iai-oii  part  of  the  country 
(referring  to  the  above-mentioned  beHef  that 
Alexander's  death  in  1825  was  only  simulated). 
Nicholas  I  died,  if  tradition  is  to  be  credited,  by 


THE  BLOOD  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS     195 

poison,  administered  by  his  own  hand  during  the 
reverses  of  the  Crimean  War.  Alexander  II  was 
killed  by  a  bomb.  Alexander  III  died  of  slow 
poison,  administered  by  the  German  Government, 
because  the  Tzar  was  not  amenable  to  their  wishes.  * 
Nicholas  II  is  dethroned. 

*  Nothing  will  uproot  the  belief  of  the  Russian  public  at  large  that  Alex- 
ander Ill's  death  was  not  a  natural  one.  They  are  convinced  that  his 
death  was  caused  by  a  lingering  poison,  and  not  from  nephritis,  as  was 
given  out.  They  are  convinced  that  the  Germans  poisoned  the  Tzar,  as 
they  had  previously  poisoned  General  Skobeleff,  because  they  were  both 
impediments  to  German  plans. 


CHAPTER  X 

THE   BLACK   CABINET 

THE  Revolution  gave  the  public  a  glimpse 
behind  the  scenes  of  the  former  Govern- 
ment and  brought  out  many  of  its  shady 
sides,  revealing  the  wheels  within  wheels  of  the 
machinery,  betraying  secrets  rigorously  kept  for  over 
a  century. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  disclosures  concerns 
the  famous  "  Black  Cabinet."  Notwithstanding 
the  formal  denial  of  one  of  the  last  chiefs  of  the 
Postal  Department,  pronounced  from-  the  tribune 
of  the  Duma*,  the  Black  Cabinet  did  exist  and  was 
discovered  in  the  centre  of  the  General  Post  Office. 
The  place  it  occupied  has  been  revealed,  and  the 
whole  organization  of  this  mysterious  Chamber  has 
been  found  out,  which  for  over  a  hundred  years 
proved  the  safest  weapon  of  search  and  pursuit. 
The  official  name  of  this  .section  was  :  ".  The  Censor- 
ship of  Foreign  Newspapers  and  Magazines."  The 
Black  Cabinet,  originated  in  the  dark  period  of  the 
Emperor  Paul's  reign,  was  foimded  in  the  year  1799, 
under  the  influence  of  the  events  connected  with  the 
French  Revolution,  and  was  put  an  end  to,  on 
March  15th,  1917,  by  order  of  the  Provisional  Govern- 
ment. 

*  The  words  were  :   "  The  Black  Cabinet  is  a  fiction," 
196 


THE  BLACK  CABINET  197 

The  proceeding  of  opening  letters  was  accomplished 
with  marvellous  dexterity,  never  leaving  the  slightest 
trace.  The  suspected  letters  were  put  into  steam- 
baths,  and  every  agent  emploj^ed  in  this  business 
was  provided  with  sharp  instruments  adapted  to 
open  an  envelope  and  with  a  special  plastic  substance, 
with  the  aid  of  which  a  few  moments  sufficed  to 
procure  a  perfect  impression  of  any  crested  seal. 

The  way  the  letters  liable  to  this  secret  examina- 
tion were  delivered  and  taken  out  of  the  Black 
Cabinet  was  most  cleverly  contrived.  The  Cabinet 
was  placed  on  the  middle  floor,  close  to  the  elevator 
in  which  huge  baskets  of  sorted  letters  were  sent 
down  to  the  dispatch  department  to  be  sent  on  to  the 
different  minor  post  offices  of  the  town.  The 
prepared  basket,  containing  the  suspected  corres- 
pondence, would  be  taken  off  the  elevator,  and 
another  with  the  letters  already  examined  put  in  its 
place.  This  was  done  ^o  quickty  that  even  the  man 
accompanying  the  elevator  did  not  notice  the 
subterfuge  and  the  stoppage  passed  unobserved 
on  either  of  the  other  floors. 

The  letters  were  opened  and  photographed  after 
that  process,  they  were  slipped  back  into  their 
respective  envelopes  and  a  similar  seal  affixed  to  the 
envelope,  if  required. 

It  would  be  a  mistake  to  think  that  only  the 
correspondence  of  people  suspected  of  political 
delinquencies  was  subjected  to  such  treatment. 
The  examination  extended  to  all  the  letters  of  people 
whose  thoughts  and  opinions  could  be  of  interest  to 
the  Tzar,  the  Minister  of  the  Interior,  or  the  Police 
Department.     This  comprised  a  very  wide  range, 


198      THE  FALL  OF  .THE  ROMANOFFS 

for  the  Minister  of  the  Interior  based  part  of  his  power 
on  such  documents  produced  by  the  Black  Cabinet, 
and  for  this  reason  hardly  anj^  important  personage's 
letters  were  left  untampered  with,  not  even  the 
correspondence  of  th^e  Tzar,  his  relatives  or  friends, 
nor  that  of  the  other  Ministers  and  statesmen. 
Such  Black  Cabinets  were  established  in  Petrograd, 
Moscow,  Warsaw,  Kiev,  Odessa,  Riga  and  Vilna. 

The  functionaries,  to  whom  this  secret  work  was 
entrusted,  were  well  paid.  For  instance  the  chief 
of  this  mysterious  section  received  officially  a  yearly 
salary  of  2,000  roubles  and  an  apartment  on  the 
premises,  but  he  received  another  12,000  roubles  a 
year  out  of  the  secret  funds  of  the  Ministry.  The 
minor  officials  received  not  less  than  5,000  roubles  a 
year  ;  the  watchmen  were  chosen  from  among  the 
illiterate.  Each  functionary,  on  being  admitted  for 
the  first  time  into  this  Blue  Beard's  Chamber,  had  to 
take  an  oath  never  to  divulge  the  existence  of  the 
Black  Cabinet  to  a  living  soul,  "  not  to  your  wife, 
•  your  father,  sister,  or  dearest  friends." 

When  the*  Minister  of  the  Interior,  M.  Plehve,  was 
killed,  one  of  the  Emperor's  Adjutant-Generals  was 
sent  to  examine  his  papers.  This  is  usually  done 
in  such  cases  to  avoid  any  important  state  document 
from  falling  into  wrong  hands.  Among  the  num- 
erous papers,  neatly  docketed  and  labelled,  the 
General's  attention  was  attracted  to  two  books. 
On  the  white  pages  of  one  of  them  were  carefully 
pasted  the  copies  of  the  Tzar's  private  letters.  The 
other  contained  the  contents  in  writing  of  the  Tzar's 
conversations  on  the  telephone.  Both  books  were 
given  to  the  Monarch,  and  Nicholas  II  was  extremely 


THE  BLACK  CABINET  199 

indignant  at  this  spying-system  applied  to  himself. 
His  displeasure  with  the  deceased  caused  him,  so  it 
was  said  at  the  time,  to  diminish  the  pension  he  had 
previously  fixed  for  the  assassinated  Minister's 
widow. 

Alexander  III  regarded  this  system  as  a  necessary 
evil  in  dangerous  times,  but  although  unable  to 
put  an  end  to  the  Black  Cabinet,  he  had  a  strong 
prejudice  against  such  methods,  and  personally 
never  availed  himself  of  this  means  of  acquainting 
himself  with  the  contents  of  other  people's  letters. 
His  father,  Alexander  II,  if  wicked  tongues  are  to 
be  believed,  was  rather  inclined  to  use  this  machinery 
for  getting  a  glimpse  behind  the  scene. 
•  The  "  Okhrana  "  (safeguard),  consisting  prin- 
cipally of  the  Corps  of  G.endarmes,  likewise  exists 
no  longer.  The  Gendarmerie  was  the  political 
police  ;  it  was  their  business  to  survey  suspected 
individuals,  watch  their  movements,  and  gain  an 
adequate  knowledge  of  their  intentions.  Gendarmes 
were  posted  at  every  station  to  look  after  sus- 
picious passengers.  At  all  the  frontier-stations  a 
section  of  them  was  quartered,  under  the  orders 
of  a  superior  officer.  They  examined  the  passports 
of  the  travellers,  and  possessing  the  photographs  of 
most  of  the  political  emigrants,  as  well  as  a  list 
of  their  names,  it  was  their  business  to  arrest  any 
individual  whom  they  suspected  of  not  having 
the  right  to  leave  or  return  to  Russia.  Colonel 
Miassoyedoff,  of  evil  memory,  was  stationed  for 
a  considerable  time  at  Wirballen,  the  German 
frontier-town.  He  was  personally  known  to  the 
Kaiser,   and  was  occasionally  invited  to  join  the 


200      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

German  potentate's  shooting  parties  on  his  estate 
in  Eastern  Prussia.  It  was  here  Miassoyedoff  was 
enlisted  into  the  German  spying  organisation  and 
commenced  his  treacherous  career. 

A  simple  denunciation  from  the  Okhrana  sufficed 
to  have  a  person  sent  out  of  town  into  some  far-off 
region.  On  the  authority  of  these  denunciations, 
often  scarcely  verified,  a  man  would  be  dragged 
from  his  house  and  work,  separated  from  his  family 
and  left  to  vegetate  in  some  remote  corner  of  the 
country.  All  depended  on  the  Chief  of  the  Gen- 
darmerie. The  two  last,  General  Djunkovsky  and 
Count  Tatishteff,  were  conscientious,  but  in  General 
Kurloff's  time  things  were  different.  It  was  then 
that  Stolypine  was  killed.  Instead  of  thinking  of 
his  responsibility,  during  the  Count's  stay  in  Kiev, 
the  General  spent  his  nights  in  feasting  and  carous- 
ing. The  inquest,  after  Stolypine's  death,  caused 
the  General  tp  pass  a  very  bad  quarter  of  an  hour 
and  left  him  with  a  besmirched  reputation,  but  that 
did  not  prevent  Proto;^opoff  from  taking  him  up 
and  giving  him  the  position  of  his  assistant,  un- 
officially it  is  true,  for  his  nomination,  it  was  feared, 
would  arouse  too  much  indignation.  However  his 
anonymous  position  was  "  Polichinelle's  secret," 
for  everyone  knew  that  General  Kurloff's  activity 
was  in  full  force  and  his  influence  paramount  until 
the  days  of  the  Revolution,  when  he  was  arrested 
and  put  into  the  fortress  to  await  his  trial. 

The  Imperial  Okhrana,  which  has  now  been 
abolished,  yearly  cost  the  nation  a  half  a  million 
of  roubles. 

It  is  said  that  the  former  Minister  of  the  Interior, 


THE  BLACK  CABINET  201 

Maklakoff,  during  one  of  his  examinations,  exclaimed 
about  the  horrors  of  the  fortress  :  "I  never  thought 
it  was  so  awful !  "  Yet  in  the  days  of  his  power, 
he  had  been  responsible  for  many  incarcerations 
Would  it  not  have  been  his  duty  to  humanity  to 
investigate  the  conditions  in  which  the  prisoners 
were  obliged  to  exist  ? 

An  amusing  story  is  told  of  how  the  'Procurator  of 
the-  Holy  Synod,  M.  Raeff  (a  friend  of  the  late 
Rasputine),  escaped  arrest.  When  he  saw  how 
fatally  things  were  turning  out  for  the  old  Govern- 
ment and  its  representatives,  he  had  recourse  to 
stratagem.  He  took  off  his  dark  wig,  which  came 
low  down  on  his  forehead  "  i  la  Capoul,"  shaved 
off  his  moustache,  took  out  his  set  of  artificial  teeth, 
and  putting  on  an  old  coat  that  had  seen  better 
days,  he  unobtrusively  sat  down  in  a  corner  of  the 
ante-room,  unrecognised  by  his  own  servants. 
The  soldiers  arrived  in  due  time  to  arrest  M.  Raeff. 
They  enquired  for  the  Procurator,,  but  were  in- 
formed by  the  servants  that  he  was  not  in  the  house. 
They  questioned  the  shabby-looking  old  man,  who 
answered  in  a  quavering  voice  that  he  had  himself 
been  waiting  for  M.  Raeff  for  over  an  hour,  and  did 
not  know  where  he  was.  The  soldiers  took  no  more 
notice  of  the  insignificant  old  duffer,  and,  having 
vainly  searched  for  the  Procurator,  they  went  away, 
leaving  the  coast  clear  for  the  old  man  to  do  what 
he  liked.  A  few  days  later,  when  M.  Raeff  made  his 
official  appearance,  the  acute  moment  of  the  Revolu- 
tion had  passed  and  he  was  left  unmolested. 

Some  of  the  former  statesmen,  notwithstanding 
their    loyalty,   were  worse  foes  to  Tzardom  than 


202      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

the  most  ardent  socialists.  They  incited  enmity 
and  hatred  against  the  Sovereign,  who  never  sus- 
pected the  effect  produced  by  more  than  one  of 
his  Ministers.  Power  was  repeatedly  entrusted  to 
undeserving,  or  unable,  hands,  and  the  representa- 
tives of  Government  were  frequentty  to  blame 
for  the  foolish  arbitrariness  of  their  actions.  Un- 
fortunately these  actions  were  imputed  to  the 
Tzar,  and  rendered  his  reign  unpopular.  The  folfow- 
ing  instance  is  a  proof  of  this. 

After  the  death  of  M.  Ivan  Dournovo,  Sipiaguine* 
was  appointed  Minister  of  the  Interior,  Sipiaguine 
was  the  scion  of  a  wealthy  family  of  ancient  lineage. 
He  was  an  honourable  gentleman  of  extremely 
limited  intellect,  but  endowed  with  a  certain  adapt- 
ability to  circumstances.  Having  proved  his  utter 
inadequacy  as  an  administrator  during  the  period 
of  his  governorship  in  Kharkoff,  he  was  nevertheless 
transferred  to  Mitau  as  the  Governor  of  Courland. 
Here  he  enjoyed  a  certain  popularity,  because  he 
chummed  tip  with  the  German  barons,  who  knew 
Sipiaguine  to  be  an  ardent  sportsman,  and  got  up 
in  his  honour  magnificent  hunting  and  shooting 
parties  in  their  ancestral  baronial  country  seats. 
People  were  greatly  surprised  to  hear  of  Sipiaguine' s 
appointment  to  the  post  of  Minister  of  the  Interior. 
Modest  and  unassuming  at  the  outset  of  his  career, 
he  subsequently  succeeded  in  convincing  himself 
(though  not  others)  that  he  was  a  bom  statesman. 

In  the  course  of  his  administration  of  Interior 
affairs,  one  of  the  Russian  democratic  journalists 
was  guilty  of  writing  a  feuilleton  entitled  :    *'  The 

*  Sipiaguine  was  killed  by  a  shot  fired  at  him  by  a  revolutionist  in  1902. 


THE  BLACK  CABINET  203 

Family  Obmanoff,"  which  appeared  in  the  news- 
paper Rossia  (Russia).  The  narrative  was  harmless 
enough  and  rather  silly,  purporting  to  describe  the 
Romanoffs.  Only  one  chapter  appeared.  Sipia- 
guine's  attention  was  instantly  drawn  to  the  hidden 
meaning  of  the  narrative.  Instead  of  treating  the 
matter  as  one  of  extreme  bad  taste  on  the  part  of 
a  writer  and  publisher,  Sipiaguine  chose  to  create 
a  scandal,  which  attracted  general  notice"  at  home 
and  abroad  to  this  somewhat  insipid  feuilleton. 

Thus  emphasized  it  became  a  classical  production, 
and  the  affair  earned  the  fame  of  a  "  cause  celebre," 
remembered-  to  the  present  day,  instead  of  passing 
unperceived  by  the  majority,  and  in  due  time 
committed  to  oblivion.  Had  he  been  wise  and 
exercised  conxmon  sense,  the  Minister  would  have 
forbidden  the  continuation  of  the  feuilleton,  and 
warned  the  publisher  that  in  the  future  he  had 
better  take  care  ;  but  Sipiaguine,  in  his  pompous 
display  of  power,  suppressed  the  paper  Rossia,  and 
sent  the  author  of  the  incriminating  article  into 
exile,  surrounding  him  with  an  everlasting  halo  of 
martyrdom.  The  Tzar  was  averse  to  such  rigorous 
measures,  but  Sipiaguine  overruled  all  objections 
by  pointing  out  the  inadmissibility  of  treating  with 
too  much  leniency  a  case  which  he  magnified  into 
a  crime  of  "  lese-majest6." 

The  unfortunate  writer,  cut  off  from  his  wife  and 
children,  prevented  from  gaining  his  family's  live- 
lihood, spent  two  wretched  years  in  Siberia  and  in 
Vologda  before  he  was  allowed  to  emigrate.  He 
has  returned  to  Russia  a  soured  and  embittered 
man,  full  of  rancour  and  hatred,  a  virulent  enemy 


204      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

of  Nicholas  II,  and  the  author  of  the  most  acri- 
monious articles  against  Tzardom  and  the  ex- Tzar. 
The  maltreated  writer  is  eager  to  avail  himself  of 
this  opportunity  to  pour  out  the  rankling  venom  of 
his  hate  ;  but  his  malevolence — ^the  result  of  Sipia- 
guine's  blundering — must  be  condoned,  when  one 
remembers  how  immeasurably  he  suffered  for  a 
comparatively  slight  offence.  His  nature  is  warped, 
and  suffering  has  not  ennobled  it. 

Many  were  the  shortcomings  and  the  mis- 
uses of  the  old  system  of  Government.  It  was 
rotten  to  the  core,  and  reform  was  ine\dtable. 
It  was  only  the  suddenness  of  the  upheaval  that 
startled  one.  However,  success  is  generally  con- 
nected with  strength,  when  it  is  young  and  fresh, 
so  one  must  ■  hope  that  the  reformed  Government 
will  attain  the  summits  of  Glory  and  Wisdom. 

The  last  Tzar  of  the  preceding  Dynasty,  founded 
by  Rurik,  Fedor  (1584-1598),  was  a  weakling  in 
body  and  mind.  His  father,  Ivan  IV,  had  crushed 
the  little  spirit  with  which  nature  had  endowed  him. 
The  Tzar  was  a  good  and  a  reUgious  one  ;  liis  favour- 
ite occupation  was  to  ring  the  church  bells,  but  he 
was  an  incompetent  monarch.  His  weakness  en- 
couraged iniquities  and  crimes  to  be  committed 
and  innocent  blood  to  be  shed,  even  the  blood  of 
his  most  faithful  adherents,  as  for  instance,  that  of 
Prince  Vassily  Shuisky.  Fedor  was  a  pawn  in  the 
hands  of  his  masterful  brother-in-law,  Boris  Godonoif , 
a  clever  and  ambitious  man,  but  unscrupulous  in 
his  deeds. 

The  reigns  of  Ivan  the  Terrible  and  that  of  his  son 
Fedor  were  considered  the  most  sanguinary  period 


THE  BLACK  CABINET  '   205 

'  in  Russian  history.  Still,  the  blood  shed  in  that 
lapse  of  time  is  a  drop  compared  with  the  blood  shed 
during  the  twenty-two  years  of  Nicholas  II's  reign  : 
Hodynka,  Tsussima,  the  Russo-Japanese  War,  the 
9th  of  January,  the  carnage  in  Moscow,  the  re- 
pression of  the  Baltic  disturbances  and  this  devastat- 
ing war,  which  the  Kaiser  started  and  which  the 
Tzar  accepted,  sustained  by  Soukhomlinoff. 

There  was  a  fatality  in  everything  the  Tzar 
undertook  ;  through  error  and  mischance  the  blood 
that  flowed  in  the  last  twenty-two  years  would  fill 
an  ocean. 

It .  is  curious  to  trace  the  ill-luck  that  all  the 
Hessian  Princesses  have  brought  as  a  dowry  to  the 
Romanoffs.  The  first  wife  of  Paul  I  was  a  Princess 
of  Hesse — ^her  husband  was  murdered.  Alexander 
II's  wife  came  from  the  same  family — her  husband 
was  killed.  The  Grand  Duke  Serge  Alexandrovitch 
married  Elizabeth  of  Hesse — ^he  met  his  death  in  a 
tragic  way.  The  present  Tzar  married  to  Princess 
Alix  of  Hesse — ^he  has  lost  his  Throne. 

Superstitious  people,  who  notice  omens  and 
believe  in  predestination,  remember  the  incident 
that  happened , three  v/eeks  prior  to  the  Coronation. 
The  Empress's  train  for  that  solemn  occasion,  follow- 
ing the  traditional  custom,  was  sent  to  one  of  the 
convents  in  the  vicinity  of  Moscow  to  be  embroidered. 
The  most  skilful  gold-embroiderers  were  chosen 
among  the  nuns,  who  during  the  period  of  work  . 
were  locked  up,  nobody  having  access  to  them 
except  their  task-mistress  and  the  Mother  Superior. 
It  took  many  months  to  put  in  the  innumerable 
stitches  and  produce  the  elaborate  designs  traced 


2o6      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

on  the  rich  gold  brocade  destined  to  be  attached  to 
the  crowned  Sovereign's  sarafan.  The  train  was 
almost  completed,  the  Mother  Superior  came  to 
inspect  the  work,  only  a  few  stitches  remained  to  be 
added,  when  one  of  the  workwomen  sharply  pricked 
her  hand,  the  needle  entering  an  artery :  a  jet  of 
blood  gushed  out  over  the  train,  and  creating 
consternation  among  the  nuns.  The  train  had  to  be 
carefully  cleansed,  previous  to  its  delivery.  Natiu-ally 
enough,  the  mishap  with  her  Coronation  train  was 
kept  from  the  Empress  Alexandra,  but  the  gossip 
in  Moscow  was  full  of  this  unlucky  occurrence. 

The  fact  had  likewise  been  disclosed  that  Princess 
Alix  in  her  owoi  coimtry  was  considered  a  "  Pech- 
vogel."*  ■  \\Tien  she  was  lea\dng  Darmstadt,  amidst 
the  crowd  that  came  to  bid  her  good  -speed, .  the 
murmur  was  heard  :  "  Und  nimm  Dein  Pech  mit 
Dir."  t 

A  revolutionary  movement  arising  exclusively 
from  the  lower  ranks  could  not  have  achieved  the 
success  of  'completely  Qverhauling  the  existing 
state  of  things  without  the  support  of  higher  regions, 
supplied  in  this  contingency  by  the  Duma.  Still  the 
primary  movement  was  so  cleverly  organised  that 
it  is  hardly  to  be  supposed  the  plan  was  worked  out 
only  by  the  workmen  and  soldiers.  German  money 
and  German  agents  were  at  the  bottom  of  the 
disturbances ;  but  they  overreached  themselves, 
for  the  Teutons  only  wished  to  call  forth  riots,  they 
never  foresaw  it  would  turn  into  a  regular  Revolution, 
causing  the  abdication  of  the  Emperor  and  the 
downfall  of  the  Dynasty. 

*  A  bird  of  ill  omen.  j  -^<^  ^^  your  bad  lack  with  you. 


THE  BLACK  CABINET  207 

Judging  by  the  articles  that  appear  in  the  German 
press,  the  changes  in  Russia  are  not  welcomed  in 
the  Land  of  the  Kaiser.  Die  W arte  is  quite  candid  in 
expressing  her  mortification,  and  frankly  laments 
that  the  German  hopes  have  been  smashed,  after 
all  the  trouble  taken  to  have  appropriate  Ministers 
appointed  in  Russia  and  the  way  paved  to  attain  a 
separate  peace. 

The  army  paper  published  in  Russian,  for  the 
benefit  of  the  Russian  captives  in  Germany,  does  not 
pronounce  the  word  "  Revolution  "  and  mentions 
only  disturbances,  endeavouring  to  discredit  the 
Provisional  Government  in  the  minds  of  the  readers, 
steadfastly  upholding  the  prestige  of  Tzarism  and 
the  Romanoffs. 

To  all  intents  and  purposes  the  Romanoff  Dynasty 
has  come  to  an  end.  A  miracle  could  alone  save  the 
Throne  for  them,  and  in  the  twentieth  century 
miracles  are  rare. 

Rasputine  and  ill-luck  have  destroyed  the  dynastic 
rights  of  the  Tzar  Nicholas  IL  His  brother  Michael's 
unfortunate  marriage*  would  prove  a  serious  im- 
pediment, and  most  of  the  other  members  of  the 
Imperial  f amity  have  discredited  themselves  in  the 
eyes  of  a  right-minded  public  by  their  indiscreet 
attitude  during  the  days  of  the  Revolution.  Should 
the  Monarchy  ever  be  restored  in  Russia,  it  will  not 
only  be  on  reformed  lines,  but  probably  with  a  Tzar 
who  will  found  a  new  Dynasty. 

A  story  is  told  of  an  Ambassador  of  one  of  the 
Allied  Powers.    A  Radical  minister  called  on  him  to 

*  The  Grand  Duke  Michael  Alexandrovitch  is  married  to  a  notary's 
daughter.  Her  maiden  name  was  Scheremetevsky.  She  has  been  divorced 
twice,  and  the  Grand  Duke  is  her  third  husband. 
O 


208      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

confer  as  to  Nicholas  IPs  departure  from  Russia. 
In  speaking  to  the  Ambassador,  the  Minister  referred 
to  "  Nicolai  Romanoff."*  The  Ambassador  inter- 
rupted him  :  "  Permit  me  to  ask  to  whom  you  are 
alluding  ?  I  do  not  know  any  "  Nicholai  Romanoff." 
The  somewhat  abashed  Minister  owned  that  he  was 
speaking  of  the  former  Sovereign — "  Oh  I  you  mean 
His  Majesty  the  ex-Tzar.  WTiatever  happens  to  him 
he  will  always  remain  an  Emperor,  and  I  really 
cannot  allow  him  to  be  otherwise  alluded- to  in  my 
presence." 

The  members  of  the  Duma,  who  were  present  at 
the  arrest  of  the  Vcirious  courtiers,  testify  their 
admiration.  All  of  them,  especially  Count  Bencken- 
dorff  and  Prince  Dolgoroukoff,  behaved  with 
wonderful  nobility,  dignity  and  tact.  M.  Kerensky 
frankly  acknowledges  that  he  was  deeply  impressed 
by  the  staunch  fidelity  they  manifested  to  their 
Imperial  Master.  The  only  exceptions  were  General 
Woyeikoff,  who  did  his  utmost  to  condemn  the  Tzar, 
but  only  succeeded  in  inspiring  his  listeners  with 
disgust  ;  and  Madame  Vyrouboff.  Her  attitude, 
when  she  was  brought  to  the  Duma,  was  deplorable. 

One  would  have  expected  such  an  influential 
dignitary  in  the  ex-Tzar's  environment,  as  M. 
Taneief — Madame  Vyrouboff's  father — to  be  one 
of  the  first  to  be  arrested.  Instead  of  which,  he 
has  managed  to  vanish.  No  one  knows  where  he  is, 
but  it  is  supposed  he  escaped  abroad.  It  is  con- 
sidered somewhat  extraordinary  that  not  one  news- 
paper has  ever  mentioned  his  name  in  connection 
with   the  events   of   the   Revolution,  and   strange 

*  Nicholas  is  pronounced  in  Hussian  Nicolai. 


THE  BLACK  CABINET  209 

rumours  are  afloat  concerning  his  disappearance. 
It  is  said  that  Nicholas  II  had  no  Uking  for  Taneief , 
but  the  Empress  favoured  him.  On  the  occasion 
of  some  jubilee  of  Taneief's,  the  Empress  Alexandra 
sent  a  special  wire  to  Headquarters  reminding  the 
Tzar  to  take  a  gracious  notice  of  this  festive 
occurrence. 

The  usual  ill-luck  that  pursues  Nicholas  II  and  his 
Consort  made  itself  felt  even  in  the  days  of  the 
Revolution.  Their  children's  illness  happened  at 
the  most  inopportune  moment.  Had  this  not  been 
the  case,  directly  after  the  Tzar's  abdication,  the 
Imperial  Family  might  have  left  Russia  and  been 
safely  conveyed  to  England.  The  protracted  illness 
of  the  children  gave  the  socialists  time  to  rally  their 
forces,  and  insist  on  inflicting  this  superfluous 
humiliation  on  crowned  heads.  M,  Kerensky  visits 
Tzarskoe  Selo  periodically  to  see  that  everything  is 
as  it  should  be,  and  that  the  ex-Sovereigns  are  in 
need  of  nothing.  But  with  all  his  good  intentions, 
M.  Kerensky  is  no  courtier,  and  his  ways  are  apt  to 
jar  on  the  Empress  Alexandra. 

On  one  of  his  visits,  he  entered  her  presence 
unannounced. 

**  What  do  you  wish  here  ?  "   queried  the  ex- 
Sovereign  in  her  most  Imperial  manner. 

"  It  is  I  who  have  come  to  enquire  if  Your  Majesty 
has  any  wish  to  formulate  ?  " 

"  I  wish  nothing  from  you,"  shortly  answered  Her 
Majesty,  and  the  Minister  had  nothing  else  to  do  but 
to  bow  himself  out. 

His  intercourse  with  the  ex-Tzar  is  sustained  on 
more  amicable  terms,  and  it  is  said  that  M.  Kerensky 


210      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

is  losing  his  prejudice  against  the  Romanoffs,  and  has 
become  quite  fascinated  by  the  peculiar  charm  that 
emanates  from  the  personality  of  Nicholas  IL  In 
the  course  of  one  of  their  conversations  the  latter  told 
M.  Kerensky  that  he  had  heard  of  him,  as  an  eloquent 
orator  and  a  clever  barrister,  but  he  did  not  suppose 
that  M.  Kerensky  possessed  great  administrative 
experience. 

During  one  of  his  last  visits  to  Tzarskoe  Selo,  the 
Tzessarevitch  Alexis  came  up  to  M.  Kerensky  with 
the  query  : 

"  You  are  a  barrister,  is  it  not  true  ?  " 

"  Quite  so."' 

"  Then  you  must  know  all  about  the  laws  of  the 
country  ?  " 

"  I  .think  I  may  venture  to  say  that  I  do." 

"  Well,  then  you  can  tell  me  :  Whether  or  no  my 
•father  had  the  legal  right  to  abdicate  the  Throne 
in  my  name  ?  " 

M.  Kerensky  was  nonplussed.  He  was  puzzled 
how  to  frame  an  appropriate  answer.  He  replied 
that  from  the  strictly  technical  point  of  view  such 
an  abdication  was  not  exactly  legal. 

"  Thank  you,  that  is  all  I  wished  to  know,"  was  the 
boj/'s  response. 

Another  time  the  Tzessarevitch  bitterly  complained 
to  M.  Kerensky  that  all  the  horses,  even  his  favourite 
pon}/,  had  been  taken  away.  The  Minister  gave 
immediate  orders  that  the  Grand  Duke  Alexis's 
pony  should  be  returned  and  put  at  the  boy's 
disposal. 

The  Tzarevnas  (the  Tzar's  daughters)  are  very 
quiet.     They  look  grave  and  subdued,  thdr  merry 


^ 


M.    KERENSKY 


THE  BLACK  CABINET  211 

chatter  is  seldom  heard  now,  and  their  gaiety  and 
joyous  laughter  does  not  fill  the  place  as  of  yore. 

Two  months  have  passed  since  the  Revolution 
put  an  end  to  the  monarchy  in  Russia,  but  the 
passions  have  not  abated,  and  the  political  ground 
is  as  slippery  as  ever.  The  excitement  is  maintained 
by  the  harangues,  unceasingly  poured  forth  by  the 
newfangled  tribunes,  who  hold  their  meetings  in 
the  open  air. 

An  incident  occurred  the  other  day  in  the  Maly* 
Theatre,  which  reflects  the  general  agitation  and 
intolerance  that  characterise  the  present  state  of 
people's  minds.  The  theatre  belongs  to  the  popular 
actress,  Madame  Souvorine,  the  only  daughter 
of  the  late  M.  Souvorine,  the  founder  of  the 
Novoe  Vremia.  Being  the  directress  of  this  theatre, 
Madame  Souvorine  objected  to  produce  any '  new 
comedy  in  her  theatre  containing  ugly  allusions 
to  the  Imperial  Court,  and  refused  to  permit 
the  actors,  in  the  course  of  the  usual  performance, 
to  give  utterance  to  sallies  tending  to  vilify  the 
ex-Tzar  and  his  family,  and  excite  the  audience's 
derision. 

Madame  Souvorine  can  only  be  honoured  for  such 
sentiments,  which  pro.  e  the  innate  good  feeling 
of  a  well-bred  lady,  but  this  prohibition  was  differ- 
ently viewed  by  the  unruly  part  of  the  public,  and 
it  raised  a  regular  tempest.  Several  members  of 
the  company,  and  some  of  the  theatrical  retainers, 
revolted  against  what  they  considered  an  arbitrary 
attitude,  but  most  of  the  artistes  sustained  their 
directress.     The  rumour  of  this  friction  was  dragged 

♦  Small. 


212      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

before  the  public.  A  gang  of  socialists,  led  by 
the  indefatigable  Lenine,  threatened  Madame  Sou- 
vorine  with  all  kinds  of  reprisals.  A  scandal  was 
expected  on  the  first  occasion  of  Madame  Souvorine 
appearing  on  the  boards. 

The  performance  on  the  ominous  night  had  gone 
on  quietly  enough.     The  house  was  crowded  with 
spectators.     Excitement  was  in  the  air,  the  actors' 
nerves  were  quivering,   Madame  Souvorine  had  a 
hunted  look  in  her  eyes.     Just  before  the  curtain 
rose  on  the  last  act,  a  murmur  was  heard  amidst 
the    audience :     "  The    Lenintzy's   have    arrived," 
and  numerous  uncouth  individuals  filled  the  gallery 
and  the  back  seats  of  the  parterre.     A  thrill  of  excite- 
ment went  through  the  theatre.     The  curtain  slowly 
rose,  revealing  Madame  Souvorine  in  the  centre  of 
the  scene.     A  terrible  noise  greeted  her  ;    hisses, 
yells, whistles  and  loud  shouts  of  "  Doloy,*  Souvorina, 
Doloy  !  "     The  unfortunate  artiste,  pale  to  the  lips, 
looked  helplessly  round,  and  swaying  fell  fainting 
on  the  nearest  chair.     The  curtain  dropped,   but 
the  vociferation  only  grew  louder.     A  gentleman 
stood  up  on  his  chair,  shouting  :    "  Shame  on  you 
for  publicly  insulting  a  defenceless  woman  !     Out 
with    the    disturbers."     A    regular    fight    ensued. 
The  representatives  of  the  Militia  f  had  disappeared, 
and  the  belligerents  had  thus  full  scope.     The  per- 
formance had  to  be  suspended,  and  the  money  was 
returned  the  next  day  to  all  the  spectators  who 
wished  to  claim  it. 

The   position    at    the    theatre    continues   to    be 
extremely   delicate.     Madame   Souvorine   is   under 

*  Away.  I  Which  has  replaced  the  police. 


THE  TZESSARKVITCK   ALEXIS    NICOLAIEVITCH 


THE  BLACK  CABINET  213 

boycott,  and  should  she  appear  on  the  boards  the 
scandal  would  recommence.  The  sympathetic 
artiste  is  to  be  coerced  into  giving  up  the  direction 
of  her  own  theatre  and  turn  it  into  an  autonomy. 
Madame  Souvorine,  however,  shows  pluck  and  does 
not  give  in,  but  she  will  avoid  a  public  appearance 
on  the  boards  until  the  end  of  the  season,  which 
is  close  at  hand. 

Events  have  created  a  vogue  for  the  word 
"  Autonomy,"  which  is  at  present  the  favourite 
expression  in  Russia.  One  continually  hears  it, 
sometimes  from  lips  that  have  only  the  vaguest 
idea  of  its  real  meaning.  It  is  like  the  word  "  Annex- 
ation." People  go  about  bellowing:  "We  don't 
want  annexations,"  yet  if  they  are  asked  what  the 
word  means,  more  than  half  of  them  do  not  know. 
The  Russian  people  want  a  good  deal  of  political 
training  before  they  will  be  able  to  take  a  wise 
and  conscious  part  in  the  governing  of  their  country. 
At  present  the  piajority  resemble  the  mujik  who 
wants  "  Russia  to  be  a  Republic,  only  with  a 
Tzar." 

It  must  not  be  imagined,  therefore,  that  the  Tzar's 
abdication  appeased  everyone  and  turned  the  current 
of  events  into  a  more  desirable  channel.  Russia 
has  not  yet  got  the  wheel  out  of  the  rut.  The 
Government  is  struggling  against  two  formidable 
foes,  who  play  into  each  other's  hands.  German 
influence  is  felt  at  every  step,  with  the  sole  difference 
that  in  former  times  it  insinuated  itself  in  high 
places,  whereas  now  it  is  gnawing  at  the  bottom. 
German  money  is  spent  in  abundance  to  sustain 
strife  and  stimulate  the  people  to  fresh  riots  and 


214      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

agrarian  disturbances,  inciting  them  against  the 
Government  and  the  principle  of  Moderation. 

Having  thrown  off  the  thraldom  of  the  Monarchy, 
•  Russia  must  take  care  to  escape  the  yoke  of  the 
socialists,  which  would  be  much  worse.  It  would 
be  like  leaving  Scylla  for  a  more  terrifying  Charybdis. 
The  people  must  be  made  to  understand  that  the 
Russian  socialists  are  the  most  reliable  allies  of 
the  Germ.ans .  At  present  the  country  revolves  aro  and 
a  completely  new  and  unaccustomed  axis,  visibly 
swerving  to  the  left,  unable  to  maintain  the  proper 
equilibrium  established  during  the  first  weeks  after 
the  Revolution,  leaving  the  hopes  and  the  ideals 
of  the  well-intentioned  true  patriots  far  behind. 

Fate  ordained  the  members  of  the  fourth  Duma 
to  step  forward  as  the  leaders  of  the  revolutionary 
movement.  They  followed  the  call  because  they 
felt  they  were  saving  Russia's  honour  and  dignity, 
which  were  being  trampled  on  in  the  most  egregious 
way. 

What  was  the  course  of  the  old  Government  ? 
Contempt  for  peoples'  enquiries,  total  incompre- 
hension of  life,  no  desire  to  take  into  consideration 
the  general  indignation.  It  was  impossible  to  endure 
such  a  state  of  things  any  longer.  All  measures 
were  tried  to  bring  the  rulers  to  their  senses,  and  in- 
duce them  to  act  conscientiously  towards  the  people 
who  were  shedding  their  life  -  blood  in  defence 
of  their'  country.  The  members  of  the  Duma, 
belonging  to  all  parties  and  factions,  came  forward 
with  admonishing  orations,  accusing  and  criticising 
the  criminal  indifference  manifested  by  the  Imperial 
Government   towards   the   country's   interests.     It 


THE  BLACK  CABINET  215 

was  a  grave  mistake  to  -confide  responsible  posts 
to  the  members  of  the  Imperial  Family,  who  were 
not  held  responsible  for  their  deeds.  In  fact, 
the  great  error  of  the  old  Government  was  that 
those  who  wielded  power  were  not  liable  to  respon- 
sibility, and  those  who  could  be  made  responsible 
did  not  possess  the  necessary  power  to  act  inde- 
pendently. The  hopelessness  of  the  position  had 
become  unbearable  to  everyone,  and  the  unanimity 
with  which  the  change  was  welcomed  proved  that 
the  ripening  political  consciousness  of  the  people 
understood  where  to  seek  the  solution  of  this  critical 
situation. 

The  salvation  of  Russia  from  threatening  danger 
was  the  basis  of  the  Revolution  in  Russia.  The 
leaders  only  desired  the  restoration  of  Russia's 
good  name,  the  conservation  of  her  entireness,  and 
the  guarantee  of  being  able  to  maintain  her  future 
might. 

It  remains  now  with  the  Russian  people  to  prove 
that  they  are  deserving  of  the  liberty  thus  acquired, 
and  give  the  Tie  to  the  pessimists  who  doubt  their 
mental  ripeness.  They  must  prove  their  worth  by 
turning  the  liberty  gained  at  the  price  of  such 
sacrifices  into  a  blessing  to  the  nation  and  not  into 
a  curse. 

The  first  duty  of  the  liberated  Russian  nation 
towards  the  country  and  her  noble  Allies  is  to  prove 
the  wisdom  of  her  acquired  independence,  and 
strain  every  nerve  to  bring  the  war  to  a  victorious 
conclusion.  All  other  thoughts  and  aspirations 
must  be  postponed  until  the  war  is  over.  After  that 
has   been   achieved   to  the  satisfaction   of  all  the 


2i6      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

Allies,  the  energy  of  the  new  Government,  be  it 
Monarchical  or  Republican,  must  be  directed  to 
realise  the  urgent  reforms  of  the  country,  redress 
the  former  shortcomings,  abolish  misuses  and  let 
the  rejuvenated  country  step  forth  and  develop 
along  her  natural  lines  towards  increasing  progress 
and  the  full  realisation  of  her  greatness. 

Only  in  that  case  will  it  be  said  of  Russia  that  she 
has  set  forward  the  clock  fifty  years,  and  will  now 
have  the  opportunity  to  prove  the  true  mettle  of 
her  people. 


CHAPTER   XI 

THE  AFTERMATH 

THE  first  three  months  after  the  Revolution 
wrought  extensive  changes  in  Russia,  but 
the  consequences  of  these  changes  have 
unfortunately  resulted  in  quite  unforeseen  events, 
deeply  deplored  by  the  majority  of  true-hearted 
Russians.  Even  those  who  welcomed  the  Revolu- 
tion are  distressed  at  the  course  these  events  are 
taking,  for  their  ideals  are  smashed  and  their  hopes 
destroyed.  The  upper  and  middle  classes  are  full 
of  anxiety  as  to  the  future,  and  the  level-headed  part 
of  the  masses  are  displeased  at  the  unexpected 
development  of  things  in  "  Holy  Russia." 

The  reaction  has  set  in,  the  glamour  of  the  first 
days  has  completely  vanished,  and  the  mistakes 
committed  by  the  leaders  of  the  revolutionary 
movement  have  retrospectively  become  vividly  con- 
spicuous. The  effects  of  these  errors  are  increasing 
daily,  and  are  getting  fatal  to  the  future  might  and 
well-being  of  the  country.  The  position  of  affairs 
is  becoming  tragic  indeed,  for  no  one  knows  what 
is  to  be  done,  and  no  one  has  the  power  to  stem  the 
socialistic-anarchical  current  that  is  invading  the 
country. 

Events  have  proved  only  too  well  that  the  Russian 

217 


2i8      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

nation  is  not  ripe  for  self-government.  It  has  not 
proved  worthy  of  the  liberty  that  was  suddenly 
thrust  upon  it,  and  as  one  of  the  Ministers  boldly 
expressed  if,  in  one  of  his  speeches  to  the  soldiers  and 
workmen  :  "  The}^  resemble  revolted  slaves  and  not 
liberated  citizens." 

The  majority  of  the  population  in  Russia  is 
represented  by  peasants,  for  be  they  soldiers,  work- 
men or  labourers,  they  all  come  from  the  ranks  of 
peasantry.  The  putting  of  the  reigning  Tzar  aside 
and  keeping  the  Sovereign  under  arrest,  has  caused 
the  upheaval  of  their  most  sacred  tradition. 

The  plank  on  which  they  stood  has  suddenly  been 
removed  from  under  their  feet,  and  they  flounder  in 
all  directions  without  any  moral  stay.  A  peasant 
was  heard  the  other  day  formulating  his  impression 
of  recent  events  :  "  We  believed  in  the  might  of  tbe 
Tzar  and  we  looked  up  to  him,  but  it  was  proved 
to  us  that  he  acted  criminally  against  our  interests, 
and  that  he  is  our  foe.  After  that  who  can  be 
trusted  ?  The  Provisional  Government  includes 
'  mujiki  '  (peasants)  like  ourselves.  How  can  they 
inspire  awe  and  faith  ?  We  can't  look  up  to  them, 
and  don't  believe  in  them  !  " 

This  is  the  general  opinion  of  the  populace,  of  what 
is  going  on  in  Russia. 

To  give  the  English  public  tl;ie  key-note  of  the 
present  distressing  circumstances  in  this  country, 
it  will  be  necessary  to  take  the  reader  back  to  the 
preliminary  days  of  the  Revolution  and  point  out 
some  of  the  errors  committed,  which  in  the  first 
effervescence  of  enthusiasm  were  not  taken  notice 
of,  and  describe  in  their  true  light  some  events 


THE  AFTERMATH  219 

that  have  now  become  known  to  a  few  people,  but 
which  for  obvious  reasons  have  not  been  imparted 
to  the  general  public. 

The  newspapers'  accounts  of  events  cannot  be 
trusted.  An  English  gentleman,  who  is  devoted  to 
Russia  and  has  spent  over  twenty  years  in  this 
country,  affirms  that  during  all  these  years  he  has 
never  known  the  Russian  newspapers  to  lie  to  such 
an  extent  as  they  have  done  since  their  reappearance 
after  their  suspension  during  the  revolutionary  days. 

The  events  of  the  last  months  have  proved  that 
the  Monarchists  were  right  in  their  convictions 
that  the  security  of  Russia  lay  in  the  invulnerability 
of  Tzarism.  It  was  the  symbol  the  people  required, 
which  to  them  was  a  sacred  one  !  Now  that  Tzarism 
is  destroyed,  all  seems  shattered  in  their  eyes,  even 
religion.  Nothing  seems  sacred  to  them,  nothing 
appeals  to  their  better  and  higher  feelings,  no  moral 
standard  sustains  them  under  the  stress  of  this 
subversion.  Their  morality,  their  sense  of  the 
fitness  of  things,  has  completely  given  way.  But 
even  among  the  lower  classes  there  are  people  \vith 
common  sense  averse  to  excesses,  who  disapprove 
of  the  existing  state  of  disorder,  disorganisation  and 
confusion,  but  they  keep  aloof  and  are  afraid  to 
express  their  real  opinions. 

Most  of  the  soldiers  when  taking  an  active  part 
against  the  old  Government  were  left  in  ignorance 
that  they  were  going  against  the  Tzar.  For  a  long 
while  some  of  the  Left  members  of  the  Duma  had  been 
surreptitiously  preparing  the  people's  minds  for  the 
coming  change,  but  it  suited  the  purpose  of  revolu- 
tionary leaders  to  use  the  force  that  the  soldiers' 


220      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

and  workmen's  support  gave  the  revolutionary 
movement,  without  confiding  their  real  aims  to  the 
people  they  used  to  attain  the  goal  of  their  aspirations. 
The  fact  of  the  Emperor's  abdication  did  not  disturb 
the  latter 's  feelings  of  loyalty,  for  they  were  too  much 
intoxicated  with  the  triumph  of  success  and  the 
feeling  of  importance  they  had  suddenly  acquired. 

The  members  of  the  Duma,  who  had  assumed  the 
direction  of  things  during  those  eventful  days,  were 
obliged  to  take  into  due  consideration  the  help  the 
soldiers  arid  workmen  had  given  the  movement, 
for  literally  it  was  they  who  achieved  the  overthrow 
of  the  old  Government.  They  were  treated  as 
confederates,  and  the  process  of  applying  to  them 
the  principle  of  "  Liberte,  Egalite,  Fraternite " 
turned  their  heads  completely.  At  first  they 
submitted  to  the  leadership  of  the  Duma,  but 
subsequently  they  recognised  their  own  power, 
based  on  the  only  real  force  that  at  present  exists 
in  the  country,  they  entered  into  their  role  of 
Revolutionists  and  wished  to  concentrate  the  power 
in  their  own  hands. 

Socialistic  leaders  of  the  lower  classes  appeared  on 
the  scene,  and  being  more  akin  to  the  populace  in 
spirit,  speedily  gained  a  predominating  ascendancy 
in  the  Soldiers'  and  Workmen's  Council.  They  took 
the  upper  hand,  and  their  first  move  was  to  sow 
dissension  between  the  people  and  the  more  educated 
members  of  the  Duma,  inciting  them  especially 
against  the  authority  of  M.  Rodzianko,  who  as  the 
President  of  the  State  Duma,  took  the  principal 
lead.  Had  M.  Rodzianko  and  his  colleagues  been 
wise,  they  would  have  foreseen  this  natural  result. 


THE  AFTERMATH  221 

They  ought  to  have  been  satisfied  with  the  con- 
cessions the  Emperor  was  ready  to  make,  and  if 
they  had  followed  the  voice  of  wisdom,  they  would, 
at  this  critical  moment  have  given  their  Sovereign 
the  support  of  their  influence,  and  above  all  they 
ought  not  to  have  prevented  His  Majesty  reaching 
Petrograd,  permitting  the  stoppage  of  the  Imperial 
train  when  within  a  few  miles'  distance  from  the 
Capital.  That  was  a  grave  error  which  is  now  deeply 
deplored.  But  at  that  time  M.  Rodzianko  and  his 
colleagues  were  somewhat  inflated  at  the  prospect  of 
the  prominent  place  they  were  going  to  take  in  the 
pages  of  Russian  history. 

Now  that  they  have  had  time  to  think,  the  more 
thoughtful  blame  the  Duma  for  its  precipitate 
action.  An  ugly  story  has  been  spread  that  the 
telegrams  sent  by  M.  Rodzianko  and  M.  Gutchkoff 
to  apprise  the  Emperor  of  what  was  going  on  in 
Petrograd,  were  purposely  sent  in  such  a  manner  as 
to  reach  the  Sovereign  when  it  would  be  too  late  for 
him  to  stand  forward  before  the  nation  and  give  the 
required  concessions.  Many  circumstances  of  those 
fatal  days  were  unknown  to  the  public,  but  the 
leaders  of  the  Revolution  knew  everything.  They 
were  perfectly  aware  that  M.  Protopopoff  had 
resigned  the  post  of  Minister  of  the  Interior,  and  that 
his  resignation  had  been  accepted  by  the  Tzar,  who 
likewise  wished  to  grant  the  country  a  responsible 
Ministry.  The  Emperor  did  not  wish  a  divorce, 
but  it  was  decided,  with  a  view  to  pacify  the 
people,  that  the  Empress  Alexandra,  accompanied 
by  her  daughters,  was  to  leave  Russia  on  a  long 
visit  to    England,    with    the    tacit    understanding 


222      THE  FALL  OF  THE  RO]VIANOFFS 

that  she  would  remain  abroad  as  long  as  the  war 
lasted. 

The  Empress  away,  the  Tzar  would  have  been 
independent  of  her  influence  and  all  would  have  been 
satisfactory;  the  Revolution  would  have  been  nipped 
in  the  bud  and  all  the  bloodshed,  misery  and  con- 
fusion avoided.  The  people  are  up  to  now  ignorant 
of  these  facts,  which  have  only  lately  becom.e  known. 
There  was  a  great  deal  going  on  that  has  yet  to  be 
explained.  Several  members  of  the  Constitutional 
Democratic  faction  of  the  Duma  sought  the  countr\''s 
safety  in  the  overthrow  of  the  dynasty.  M.  Gutch- 
koff  was  always  frankly  antagonistic  to  the  Tzar,  and 
he  knew  that  he  was  antipathetic  to  the  Sovereign, 
therefore  most  people  blamed  him  for  having  put 
himself  forward  to  claim  the  Emperor's  abdication 
in  Pskov.  If  the  abdication  were  imperative — and 
the  majorit}^  deem  it  a  great  mistake— it  was  the 
President  of  the  Duma,  M.  Rodzianko,  who  ought 
to  have  formulated  the  nation's  wish  to  the  Tzar. 
It  turns  out  now  that  the  nation  knew  hardly  any- 
thing of  the  course  events  were  taking,  and  it  was 
only  the  desire  of  a  few  scores  of  men  that  Nicholas 
II  should  give  up  the  reins  of  Government.  General 
Russky,  likewise  an  adversary  of  the  Tzar,  is 
said  to  have  played  into  the  hands  of  those  who 
wished  to  dethrone  him.  All  these  intrigues  and 
characteristic  details  are  gradually  cropping  up  now, 
when  it  is  too  late. 

When  the  Provisional  Government  was  being 
formed  the  first  friction  arose  between  the  Duma 
and  the  Soldiers'  and  Workmen's  Deputies.  They 
objected  to  M.   Rodzianko  occupying  the  post  of 


M.     V.    ROnjANKO 

I'RKSIDKNT    Ol-    TIIK    IMI'KKIAI,    DUMA    UNDKR   THK    OLD    AND    NKW 

COVKRNMENTS 


THE  AFTERMATH  223 

Prime  Minister,  and  their  forces  having  become 
threatening,  it  was  thought  wiser  to  give  in  to  them. 
Prince  Lwoff  was  elected  Prime  Minister,  and  M. 
Rodzianko  remained  President  of  the  Duma.  Prince 
Lwoff  may  be  a  well-intentioned,  clever  man,  but  he 
is  no  statesman,  and  has  no  experience  in  administra- 
tion. In  forming  the  Cabinet  he  took  the  portfolio  of 
the  Interior,  but  during  more  than  three  months 
did  nothing  to  prove  his  activity  or  ability. 

Meanwhile  with  every  succeeding  day  the  soldiers 
and  workmen  were  gaining  power,  and  their  im- 
pudence increased  in  giant  strides.  The  new  War 
Minister,  M.  Gutchkoff,  slackened  the  discipline, 
which  hitherto  had  been  strictly  observed  in  the  army, 
to  a  perilous  degree.  The  soldiers  were  granted  all 
kinds  of  rights  and  privileges.  They  were  released 
from  saluting  their  officers  when  they  met  in  the 
street  or  in  public  places  ;  they  were  not  to  address 
the  officers  as  "  Your  Worship  "  or  the  generals  as 
**  Your  Excellency,"  but  were  to  use  the  nomination 
of  the  distinctive  ranks,  as  it  is  done  in  France  : 
"  Monsieur  le  lieutenant.  Monsieur  le  general." 
They  were  allowed  to  travel  in  first-class  carriages, 
without  paying  for  their  ticket,  whereas  formerly 
soldiers  could  only  travel  third-class.  The  result 
of  this  stupid  permission  is  that  it  has  become  an 
ordeal  to  travel  in  Russia.  The  best  carriages  are 
filled  with  soldiers,  who  loll  on  the  velvet  seats, 
whilst  the  paying  travellers,  even  ladies,  have  to 
stand  in  the  corridor  glad  to  be  able  to  enter  the  train 
at  aU. 

The  same  with  the  tram-cars.     Before  the  Re- 
volution the  soldiers  stood  on  the  front  platform, 
p 


■^ 


224      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROxMANOFFS 

which  serves  as  an  entrance  to  the  inside  of  the  car. 
Now  the  tram-cars  are  crowded  with  soldiers,  who 
do  not  pay  any  fare,  and  other  people  have  some- 
times to  wait  for  hours  until  they  can  squeeze  into 
the  car.  Ladies,  children  and  generals  have  to 
stand,  whilst  uncouth  soldiers  sit  sprawling  on  the 
benches.  It  is  a  painful  sight  to  observe  a  venerable 
colonel  enter  the  tram  and  remain  standing,  there 
is  no  place  for  him  to  sit,  whilst  opposite  to  him 
sits  a  robust  young  soldier  insolently  regarding  the 
superior  officer  without  budging  from  his  place. 
The  eyes  of  the  colonel  reflect  pain  and  disgust, 
and  he  visibly  avoids  looking  at  the  soldier. 

An  English  officer  was  going  some  distance  by 
a  tram  in  which  three  soldiers  were  seated,  two  of 
them  supporting  their  comrade,  who  was  in  the  last 
stage  of  intoxication."  A  white-haired  general  en- 
tered. The  soldiers  continued  to  sit,  and  the  general 
remained  standing,  and  had  not  the  right  to  admonish 
the  inebriated  soldier  lor  his  misconduct.  The  English 
officer  was  at  first  a  silent  witness  of  this  scene, 
but  filled  with  disgust  he  went  up  to  the  sprawling 
soldier,  took  him  by  the  scruff  of  his  neck,  and  put 
him  outside  the  door,  then  approaching  the  general 
he  said  :  "  Vasche  Prevoskhoditelstvo  "  (Your  Ex- 
cellency) "  here  is  a  place  for  you."  No  one  pro- 
tested against  this  act  of  authority,  but  if  a  Russian 
officer  had  acted  so,  there  would  have  been  a  fearful 
row,  and  all  the  newspapers  would  have  bayed 
against  the  officers  oppressing  the  soldiers. 

The  discipline  was  slackened  to  such  an  extent 
that  the  soldiers  ceased  to  obey  orders  given  by  their 
superiors.    The   Chief   of   the   Military   Circuit   of 


THE  AFTERMATH  225 

Petrograd,  General  Korniloff,  desired  to  review  the 
Finland  Regiment.  At  the  hour  fixed,  only  three 
companies  appeared,  the  fourth  did  not  turn  up, 
"  for  they  only  obeyed  orders  given  by  the  Council 
of  Soldiers'  Deputies."  After  this  insolence,  General 
Korniloff  sent  in  his  resignation  and  returned  to 
the  front.  The  War  Minister,  M.  Gutchkoff,  likewise 
resigned  his  post,  for  he  could  do  nothing  with  the 
undisciplined  army.  M.  Kerensky  replaced  him, 
but  although  his  popularity  among  the  soldiers 
and  workmen  is  undoubted,  still  it  is  to  be  feared  he 
will  not  be  able  to  do  much  lasting  good  whilst 
things  remain  in  the  present  state. 

There  have  been  cases  when  an  attack  on  the 
Germans  was  fixed,  the  oincers  appeared,  but  not 
one  soldier.  "  They  did  not  consider  the  attack 
necessary."  M.  Kerensky  makes  the  mistake  like- 
wise of  wishing  to  use  a  moral  treatment  of  per- 
suasion with  the  Soldiers.  But  no  army  can  exist 
without  strict  discipline  and  implicit  obedience. 
One  of  the  best  Russian  army  leaders.  General 
Romeiko-Gurko,  moved  by  the  impossibility  under 
existing  conditions  of  exacting  obedience,  sent  in 
his  resignation.  This  comprehensible  demonstration 
on  the  part  of  an  experienced  warrior*  was  severely 
dealt  with  by  the  present  Minister  of  War,  M. 
Kerensky.  General  Gurko  received  a  stern  repri- 
mand ;  his  resignation  was  only  partly  accepted, 
for  he  was  deprived  of  the  leadership  of  an  army, 
but  the  Commander-in-Chief  was  requested  to  give 
the  general  another  appointment,  not  higher  than 

*  General  Romeiko-Gurko  has  gained  many  laurels  in  this  campaiRn, 
as  well  as  in  the  Russo-Japanese  War. 


226      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

the  command  of  a  division.  General  Gurko  is 
too  rigorous  a  disciplinarian  to  protest  against 
the  harshness  of  the  penalty  inflicted  on  him. 

With  soldiers,  however,  the  new  War  Minister 
is  more  lenient,  and  they  mostly  go  scot-free  after 
the  most  flagrant  acts  of  insubordination.  M. 
Kerensky  intends  to  act  on  the  soldiers'  morality 
by  words  of  reason,  and  not  with  harsh  reprisals. 
The  Minister  evidently  does  not  take  into  con- 
sideration the  mental  calibre  of  the  simple  Russian 
soldier,  nor  the  customs  and  habits  which  for  cen- 
turies have  been  inculcated -into  the  army  and  which 
had  become  a  second  nature  to  them.  The  Russian 
soldier  of  the  past  has  gained  world-wide  fame  for 
his  wonderful  valour  and  endurance.  At  a  sign 
from  his  commander,  he  would  fearlessly  rush 
into  the  most  irriminent  danger  and  achieve  the 
bravest  feats.  An  iron  discipline  and  the  admira- 
tion and  respect  they  felt  for  their  leader,  brought 
out  their  most  sterling  qualities.  Polemical  per- 
suasion will  never  have  the  same  effect  on  the 
soldier  as  a  fiery  glance,  a  masterful  gesture  and  a 
commanding  word. 

The  system  of  MM.  Gutchkoff  and  Kerensky 
may  theoretically  be  ever  so  noble  and  elevated, 
but  it  savours  too  much  of  Utopia  to  be  successful 
in  practice.  Applied  to  the  Russian  soldier  it  has 
demoralized  the  army,  and  is  ruining  the  soldier 
who  a  century  ago  inspired  Napoleon  with  admira- 
tion, and  quite  recently  gave  the  Kaiser  pangs 
of  envy.  "  If  my  army  were  composed  of  Russian 
soldiers  I  could  have  conquered  the  world,"  has 
frequently   been   the   German   Emperor's   remark, 


THE  AFTERI\1ATH  227 

but  it  was  the  pre-Revolution  soldier  who  caused 
these  tributes  from  foreign  monarchs  .and  army 
leaders. 

The  Russian  army  leaders  of  the  past  loved  the 
soldiers  under  their  command,  and  took  a  fatherly 
care  of  them,  and  the  soldiers  would  have  gone 
through  fire  and  water  for  a  commander  they 
venerated  and  trusted.  Cases  of  harshness  and 
undue  severity  were  exceptional,  and  were  never 
encouraged  by  the  army  chiefs.  Since  the  war 
against  Germany,  the  bond  of  common  danger 
seemed  to  draw  the  officers  into  a  closer  union  with 
the  soldiers,  and  never  were  their  relations  so 
cordial.  The  Revolution,  however,  has  put  a  com- 
plete stop  to  this.  Events  have  occurred  which 
can  never  be  obliterated,  and  the  covert  antagonism 
that  exists  now  between  officers  and  soldiers,  and 
their  mutual  distrust  of  one  another,  is  due  entirely 
to  these  innovations  that  have  been  inaugurated 
since  the  democratisation  of  the  army. 

The  required  fraternization  between  the  military 
men  of  all  ranks  has  a  fatal  influence.  The  framers 
of  the  new  Russian  army  have  evidently  forgotten 
the  time-old  adage  that  "Familiarity  breeds  con- 
tempt." Those  responsible  for  this  new  order  of 
things  are  taking  a  great  responsibility  in  destroying 
all  the  old  traditions  of  the  army,  and  if  some 
miraculous  change  does  not  occur,  it  is  to  be  feared 
they  will  be  answerable  for  its  complete  decay. 

To  give  an  undeniable  proof  of  the  state  of  our 
army,  I  will  quote  the  report  of  Lieutenant  Yousuff- 
Khan  to  the  War  Minister,  M.  Kerensky,  in  which 
he  tenders  his  resignation  : 


228      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

"  I  am  an  officer,  and  for  twelve  years  have  served 
in  the  army,  devoting  my  strength  and  all  that  is 
best  in  me  to  the  service  of  Russia.  Many  times 
have  I  risked  m}'-  life  in  battle,  as  well  as  the  lives 
of  my  dear  volunteers  from  Daghestan.  At  the 
present  moment  I  consider  it  impossible  to  serve, 
for  there  is  no  army  any  more.  The  Russian  army 
is  going  the  way  of  decomposition  and  by  novel 
*  prikazi,'*  appeals  and  speeches,  it  continues  to  be 
led  on  the  road  to  destruction.  There  is  no  army 
in  the  whole  world  ruled  by  appeals  and  orations. 
An  army  over  v/hich  ther6  is  no  power,  where  the 
men  criticise  the  fighting  problems  and  refuse  to 
accomplish  them,  where  no  one  has  obligations 
but  every  one  has  rights;  such  an  army  is  fatal 
to  the  country  and  harmless  to  the  enemy.  I 
cannot  serve  in  such  an  arm.y,  and  I  do  not  wish 
to  be  a  traitor  to  Russia  ;  I  therefore  beg  the  War 
Minister  to  accept  my  resignation,  all  the  more 
so  as  I  am  a  Lesghis,  and  am  not  accomplishing 
coijipulsory  service,  but  am  serving  in  the  army  of 
my  own  free  will  out  of  love  for  my  country,  but 
I  have  not  the  strength  to  serve  and  be  servile. "t 

Can  any  declaration  be  clearer  and  better  formed  ? 

The  reply  of  the  War  Minister  proved  that  he 
did  not  understand  the  cry  of  anguish  of  the  officer, 
assisting  at  the  ruin  of  the  army  of  which  he  was 
so  j)roud.  Here  is  his  resolution  on  the  report : 
"  Until  the  war  is  ended  there  can  be  no  return 
liom  the  army.     Traitors  to  their  country  are  they 

•  Prikaze  =  order. 

t  This  letter  and  also  the  whole  of  this  volume  was  written  before  the 
grea,t  Russian  retreat  in  Galicia  or  that  Irom  Riga. 


THE  AFTERMATH  229 

who  refuse  to  serve  her.  The  report  of  Lieutenant 
Yousuff-Khan  tends  as  strongly  to  imperil  the 
discipline  as  the  agitation  of  the  anarchists. 
Shame  1  " 

The  news  of  General  Alexeieff's  resignation  from, 
the  post  of  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Russian 
army  caused  consternation  and  dismay  to  the 
public  at  large.  General  Alexeieff  is  a  very  popular 
man  ;  the  Russian  nation  trusted  him  and  all  hope 
of  success  was  based  on  his  leadership.  His  name 
is  connected  with  two  splendid  military  operations 
of  world-wide  fame  :  (i)  the  first  victorious  Galician 
campaign,  v/hen  as  the  Chief  of  General  Ivanoff's 
staff  he  planned  the  movement ;  (2)  the  saving  of 
the  Russian  army  during  the  dismal  period  of  its 
ammunitionless  condition,  and  the  brilliant  retreat 
from  Gahcia,  which  in  its  ingenuity  equalled  an 
important  victor}^  Many  thought  it  a  mistake 
that  General  Alexeieff  was  not  appointed  at  the 
beginning  of  the  war  as  Chief-of-Staff  to  the  Grand 
Duke  Nicholas.  This  omission  was  attributed  partly 
to  the  intrigues  of  General  Soukhomlinoff,  partly 
to  the  prejudice  of  His  Imperial  Highness.  The 
Grand  .Duke  did  not  get  on  over  well  with  General 
Alexeieff,  and  never  gave  him  full  liberty  of  action. 

General  Alexeieff  was  one  of  the  military  leaders 
who  gladly  welcomed  the  change  when  the  ex-Tzar 
took  the  command  into  his  own  hands.  At  first 
the  new  arrangement  worked  remarkably  well,  and 
only  during  the  last  months  of  Nicholas  II's  reign 
did  occasional  friction  arise  because  of  the  Empress's 
contirmal  interference. 

It  is  the  socialistic  party  that  insisted  on  General 


230      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

Alexeieff's  removal  from  the  leadership  of  the  army. 
Thej'  were  displeased  with  the  valiant  General's 
last  speech  addressed  to  the  soldiers  at  the  front, 
in  which  he  clearly  pointed  out  that  the  destructive 
elements  that  had  insinuated  themselves  of  late 
amongst  the  soldiers  were  the  cause  of  the  Russian 
army  falling  to  pieces.  The  country  was  on  the 
brink  of  a  precipice,  and  could  only  be  saved  by 
the  army  pulling  itself  together  and  deciding  to 
come  to  the  rescue  and  fight  the  enemy  with  the 
same  spirit  of  valour  and  endurance  which  had 
gained  the  Russian  soldier  of  former  times  such  a 
distinguished  place  in  military  history.  This 
harangue  deeply  impressed  the  soldiers,  and  in- 
creased the  disapproval  of  the  socialists. 

Military  experts,  however,  are  of  opinion  that 
General  Alexeieff,  with  all  his  marvellous  erudition 
and  strategical  ability,  is  a  remarkable  Chief  of  the 
Staff,  but  that  he  lacks  the  three  principal  qualities 
that  make  an  army  leader  :  boldness,  self-assurance, 
and  confidence  in  the  success  of  his  enterprise. 

General  Brussiloff,  the  successor  of  General 
Alexeieff,  though  much  less  learned,  possesses  these 
quahties.  He  has  the  gift  of  electrifying  himself, 
as  well  as  the  soldiers  under  his  command.  He  is 
sixty  years  of  age,  but  no  one  would  give  him  his 
age,  for  he  has  retained  the  active,  wiry  figure  of 
his  youth,  his  wonderful  alertness  and  energy. 
His  ascendancy  over  the  army  is  indubitable. 
.  General  Brussiloff  in  turn  was  forced  to  relinquish 
supreme  control  in  favour  of  General  Korniloff, 
a  man  of  iron  determination  and  uncompromising 
vigour. 


THE  AFTERMATH  231 

In  the  first  flush  of  emancipation  from  the  yoke 
of  the  old  Government,  all  the  former  strugglers  for 
liberty  were  remembered.  The  dead  were  honoured 
with  commemorative  religious  services,  the  living 
were  set  free,  or  sent  for  from  foreign  lands,  where 
they  had  taken  refuge.  In  the  course  of  a  few 
weeks,  the  country  was  flooded  with  emigrants, 
most  of  them  socialists  and  anarchists,  arriving  from 
all  parts  of  Europe.  Amongst  them  were  many 
German  agents,  who  slipped  in  unhindered  under 
the  guise  of  political  fugitives.  Taking  Russian 
pseudonyms,  they  became  ardent  and  influential 
members  of  the  Soldiers'  and  Workmen's  Council, 
and  working  for  Germany  they  put  all  kinds  of  wild 
ideas  into  the  simple  people's  heads. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  among,  the  leaders  of  the 
Labour  Party,  which  at  present  is  the  preponderating 
party  in  Russia,  there  are  Armenians,  Caucasians, 
Germans  and  Jews,  but  not  a  single  real  Russian. 
They  began  advocating  the  idea  of  a  separate  peace 
with  Germany,  without  annexations  or  contributions. 
They  have  put  ultra-socialistic  ideas  into  their 
followers'  heads,  about  taking  away  the  land  of  the 
proprietors,  and  arresting  capitalists.  Under  their 
baleful  influence  the  exigencies  ol  the  workmen  are 
taking  such  dimensions  that  the  closing  of  all 
manufactories  and  foundries  will  be  the  probable 
result.  That  these  increasing  demands  from  the 
employees  threaten  a  serious  danger  to  the  pro- 
ductiveness of  industry  in  Russia  leaves  them 
completely  indifferent.  That  it  will  mean  the 
economical  ruin  ot  the  country  and  the  renewal  of 
dependence   on    Germany   seems    likewise   not   to 


232      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

trouble  them.  Such  socialistic  leaders  as  Lenine, 
Trotzky,  Grimm,  Malinovsky  and  others,  have 
incited  the  people  against  our  splendid  and  trust- 
worthy Allies,  instilling  the  idea  that  the  Germans 
being  our  neighbours  are  our  natural  friends. 

The  revolting  fraternizing  at  the  front  between  the 
German  and  Russian  soldiers  was  likev/ise  the  out- 
come of  this  socialistic  teaching.  The  most  ludicrous 
and  pitiful  things  are  going  on  all  over  the  country 
owing  to  these  anarchical  socialistic  leaders.  Great 
Russia  exists  no  longer.  Finland  desires  to  separate 
herself  and  demands  an  autonomy.  The  Finns  argue 
that  conformably  to  the  Treaty  of  Abo,  they  were 
obliged  to  submit  to  the  rule  of  the  Russian  Tzar, 
who  became  the  Grand  Duke  of  Finland.  Now  there 
is  no  Russian  Tzar,  the  obligations  of  the  treaty 
exist  no  longer.  The  Ukraina  likewise  wishes  to 
separate  from  the  Russian  Republic,  so  does  the 
Caucasus  and  Lithuania  :  the  Letts  and  the  Esthon- 
ians  require  an  autonomous  government.  In  one 
word  the  present  state  of  things  threatens  the 
complete  dismemberment  of  the  once  mighty  Empire 
of  Russia. 

It  is  said  that  only  one  step  removes  the  sublime 
from  the  ridiculous.  This  can  well  be  proved  by  the 
present  conditions  in  Russia,  where  at  least  a  dozen 
small  towns,  following  the  example  of  Cronstadt, 
have  declared  their  ludicrous  resolve  of  not  wishing 
to  submit  to  the  Provisional  Government,  but  to  have 
their  own  separate  republic.  Such  was  the  decision 
of  Schliisselburg,  Tzaritzine,  Kirsanoff,  etc.  Can 
anything  be  more  utterly  senseless  ? 

A  formidable  mistake  which  had  endangered  the 


THE  AFTERMATH  '  233 

safety  of  towns  and  their  inhabitants,  was  made 
when  the  heads  of  the  State  Duma,  who  took  the 
lead  in  the  revolutionary  movement,  permitted  the 
utter  destruction  of  the  well-organised  police  in 
Russia.  The  Prefect  of  the  Police  in  Petrograd, 
General  Balk,  and  his  assistants  were  arrested,  the 
police-inspectors,  constables  and  gendarmes  were 
killed  by  the  mob,  or  put  into  prison,  the  police- 
stations  sacked  and  burnt,  and  the  whole  institution 
for  ever  destroyed.  The  very  name  of  policeman 
was  used  as  an  insult.  At  the  same  time  the  doors 
of  the  prisons,  which  had  mostly  been  filled  with 
robbers,  burglars  and  thieves,  were  forcibly  opened 
and  all  the  miscreants  let  out.  Unchecked  they  had 
full  scope  to  break  into  people's  houses  and  flats  and 
steal  all  they  could  lay  hands  on. 

The  Militia  that  was  created  a  few  days  later  to 
replace  the  police  is  quite  inadequate  to  inspire  the 
inhabitants  with  security.  Many  of  the  escaped 
thieves  have  joined  the  Militia,  v/hich  includes 
students  and  college-boys,  without  any  experience  or 
real  authority.  Their  only  sign  of  distinction  is  a 
white  band  with  red  letters  round  the  left  arm 
endowing  them  with  the  necessary  power.  But  the 
people  sneer  at  them,  for  some  of  them  are  so  puny 
and  such  cowards  that  they  are  the  first  to  run  away 
when  a  serious  broil  occurs.  They  do  not  even  know 
how  to  use  the  fire-arms  they  are  entitled  to  carry, 
and  some  silly  as  well  as  several  tragic  accidents 
have  been  caused  in  consequence. 

They  are  held  in  profound  contempt  by  the 
inhabitants,  who  cannot  understand  why  the  Militia 
receives  such  high  wages,  amounting  to  200  roubles 


234      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

(£20)  a  month,  whereas  the  policemen  and  gendarmes 
received  not  more  than  50  roubles  (£5).  Burglaries 
and  thefts  have  now  become  common  occurrences, 
disorder  and  confusion  reign  everywhere,  and  bitterly 
do  the  people  miss  the  former  "  gorodovis  "  (police- 
constables)  and  their  protection  from  the  hooligans 
and  other  miscreants. 

One  of  the  favourite  modern  robbing  systems 
consists  of  the  men  dressing  up  as  soldiers  and 
militiamen  (the  regulation-bandage  suffices  for  the 
travesty  of  the  latter)  and  coming  to  the  house  they 
wish  to  rob  on  the  plea  of  a  search  that  is  to  be  made. 
A  gentleman  the  other  day  being  alone  in  his  house 
answered  the  bell  in  person.  On  being  informed  of 
the  impending  search,  he  enquired  for  the  warrant. 
Six  revolver -muzzles  were  instantly  levelled  at 
him  :  **  This'  is  our  search-warrant,"  was  the  reply, 
"  and  if  you  make  a  ipiovement  you  are  a  dead 
man." 

^  The  gentleman  happened  to  be  a  rich  financier 
and  the  booty  the  robbers  carried  away  was  con- 
siderable, worth  about  £16,000.  There  have  been 
frequent  cases  of  members  belonging  to  the  Militia 
being  among  the  thieves. 

Everything  now  is  made  uncomfortable  for  the 
inhabitants.  Bread,  butter,  milk,  etc.,  cannot  be 
had  without  standing  in  a  row,  sometimes  for  hours, 
and  waiting  5^our  turn.  Servants  spend  nearly  all 
their  time  in  running  from  one  row  to  the  other, 
neglecting  all  other  household  work  and  manifesting 
an  irritability  that  is  the  natural  consequence  of  the 
fatigue  engendered  by  these  waits.  Similar  rows 
stand  likewise  before  shoe  shops  and  places  where 


THE  AFTERMATH  235 

railway  tickets  are  sold.  This  has.  even  produced 
a  new  profession.  Local  *'  camelots  "  come  early 
and  take  a  place  in  the  row,and  when  later  a  lady  or  a 
gentleman  arrive,  who  do  not  wish  to  wait,  they  sell 
their  turn  for  a  guinea  or  more. 

From  twelve  to  two,  most  shops,  especially  green- 
grocers, poulterers,  fruiterers  and  such-like,  are 
closed,  to  give  the  shop-assistants  leisure  in  which  to 
have  their  dinner  comfortably.  People  come  from 
the  suburbs  to  do  their  shopping  and  lose  a  great  deal 
of  time  because  of  this  innovation,  or  else  they  are 
obliged  to  go  home  without  the  things  they  want.  At 
six  o'clock  all  shops  are  definitely  shut.  Busy 
people  detained  at  their  work  until  six  o'clock  can 
hardly  ever  find  a  Convenient  hour  in  which  to  make 
their  purchases.  Shopkeepers  deplore  these  new 
rules,  which  diminish  their  receipts,  and  make  them 
lose  good  customers.  Many  of  the  more  experienced 
assistants  likewise  disapprove  of  these  new  restric- 
tions, but  nothing  can  be  done,  and  no  one  dare  go 
against  the  regulations  laid  down  by  the  Soldiers' 
and  Workmen's  Council. 

The  Revolution  in  Russia  was  achieved  by  the 
plebeian  classes,  but  during  the  first  days  they  seemed 
aristocratic  in  spirit,  actuated  by  noble  impulses 
and  willing  to  be  led  by  wiser  heads  than  their  own. 
If  everything  had  continued  on  such  lines,  the  over- 
throw of  the  old  Government  might  indeed  have 
proved  a  blessing  to  the  progress  and  well-being  of 
the  country.  But. gradually  the  radiance  which  had 
illumined  the  dawn  of  the  Revolution  began  to  grow 
dim.  The  reason  of  this  can  only  be  explained 
by  the  fact  that  at  the  first  sound  of  the  Revolutionary 


236      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

the  cad  vanishes.    Cads  are  always  poltroons,  only  in 
flocks  do  they  appear  brave. 

Noah's  second  son,  who  behaved  in  such  a  dis- 
gusting way  to  his  old  father,  is  considered  in  Russia 
the  prototj^e  of  cads,  who  in  this  country  have 
therefore  earned  the  appellation  of  "  Hams."  Such 
"Hams"  belong  unfortunately  to  all  classes  of 
society,  and  as  there  are  nature's  ladies  and  gentle- 
men, there  exist  likewise  "  nature's  Hams." 

During  the  bright  days  in  February,  when  t4ie 
Revolution  was  inspired  with  elevated  aspirations 
and  ideals,  the  "  Hams  "  disappeared  as  if  by  magic. 
They  knew  their  place  was  not  amidst  the  noble, 
well-intentioned  innovators.  They  lay  low  for  a 
time,  but  they  were  closely  observing  the  course 
events  were  taking,  and  watching  for  an  opening. 
Their  opportunity  came — ^authority  had  been  com- 
pletel}^  destroyed  by  being  given  into  the  hands  of 
the  liberated  people.  That  was  the  hour  of  the 
**  Hams,"  and  they  became  the  parasites  of.  the 
Russian  Revolution. 

At  first  they  acted  warily,  increasing  their  impu- 
dence as  success  attended  their  machinations.  Unwit- 
tingly perhaps  they  acted  the  part  of  traitors  to  their 
country,  and  the  German  agents  who  swarmed 
everywhere  during  that  period  were  only  too  glad 
to  use  them  as  the  propagators  of  their  aims  and 
ideas.  They  sowed  the  seeds  of  mistrust  towards 
some  of  the  members  of  the  Provisional  Government, 
they  caused  dissension  and  unrest,  and  brought 
things  to  the  present  lamentable  pass. 

The  Ministers  of  the  new  Cabinet  are  obviously 
out   of   their    depth ;     notwithstanding    the    wide 


THE  AFTERMATH  237 

outlook  of  their  intellect  and  the  nobility  of  their 
purpose,  they  lack  the  assurance  of  experience. 
They  spend  too  much  of  their  time  in  going  to  various 
meetings,  and  in  speechifying  at  these  meetings. 
And  yet  time  is  precious  at  this  moment,  and  there  is 
so  little  to  lose  that  it  seems  a  pity  to  fritter  it  away 
on  meetings  and  political  committees,  which  cannot 
advance  matters  and  do  considerably  more  harm 
than  good. 

The  Government  ought  to  stop  all  superfluous 
revolutionary  manifestations  and  processions,  which 
the  people  delight  in,  solemnly  carrying  about  the 
town  dozens  of  red  flags,  with  high-flown  inscriptions 
printed  on  them  in  huge  golden  letters.  The  number 
of  such  processions  that  during  the  past  months 
marched  up  to  the  Duma  is  simply  astounding  : 
advanced  women,  soldiers*  wives,  factory  girls  and 
even  schoolboys  and  little  girls  in  white  frocks  with 
huge  red  bows,  taking  part  in  the  general  political 
manifestations. 

The  representatives  of  the  Government  have  to. 
come  out  and  address  them  all  with  gracious  en- 
couraging words,  whilst  the  public  at  large  treat  these 
proceedings  with  derision  and  laugh  at  the  Ministers. 
All  these  manifestations  ought  to  be  suspended,  the 
soldiers  must  join  their  regiments  and  do  their  duty 
at  the  front,  letting  wiser  people  take  care  of  the 
country's  politics,  and  the  Government  must  set  to 
work  seriously  and  prove  to  the  sceptical  nation  that 
the  new  order  of  things  means  the  furthering  of 
Russia's  might  and  happiness 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  RULE  OF  DEMOCRACY 

GERMAN  influence  was  at  the  root  of  the  Rus- 
sian Revolution,  and  German  influence  is 
continuing  to  direct  its  development  into 
anarchical  channels.  People  are  still  under  the 
impression  that  the  Empress  Alexandra  had  paved 
the  way  towards  a  separate  peace  with  Germany. 
It  was  this  threat  that  accelerated  the  overthrow  of 
the  Dynasty,  and  caused  the  Revolution  to  be 
sincerely  welcomed  by  the  Right,  as  well  as  the  Left 
parties.  Admitting  that  this  surmise. were  based  on 
facts,  the  success  of  the  pacific  endeavours  was 
extremely  problematical  as  there  were  too  many 
serious  impediments  in  the  way.  With  his  usual 
astuteness  the  German  Kaiser  preferred  to  call  forth 
disturbances  in  Russia  that  would  spread  all  over 
the'  country  and  reach  the  army  ;  this  would  further 
his  cause  in  any  case. 

Startled  at  the  unlooked  for  result  of  the  disorders, 
the  German  potentate  was  not  pleased  at  the 
dethronement  of  the  Tzar,  but  he  soon  rallied  his 
forces  and  resolved  to  discount  the  moment  and  the 
present  circumstances  to  his  own  advantage.  The 
spying-net'was  reinforced,  and  amongst  the  returning 
emigrants  were  numerous  German  agents  in  the  pay 

238 


THE  RULE  OF  DEMOCRACY  239 

of  the  Kaiser.  Before  leaving  Switzerland  they 
received  minute  instructions ;  several  of  them,  as  for 
instance  Lenine,  were  allowed  to  pass  through 
Germany.  Arrived  in  Russia  they  hastened  to  act 
in  the  interests  of  their  employers. 

The  soil  it  must  be  owned  was  a  fertile  one,  for 
exhausted  by  three  years  of  bloodshed  and  privations, 
the  soldiers  were  only  too  eager  to  turn  a  willing  ear 
to  the  voice  of  the  tempters,  who  proved  to  them  the 
inexpediency  of  continuing  the  war.  The  Russian 
people  in  their  simple-mindedness  are  easily  led, 
they  nibbled  at  the  bait  and  were  nothing  loth  to 
become  pacifists.  Still  one  must  remember  that  such 
convictions  of  uncouth  minds  are  only  skin-deep,  and 
if  a  well-meaning  patriotic  leader  would  turn  up 
possessing  the  power  to  touch  their  heart  and  their 
love  for  their  country,  an  immediate  transformation 
would  ensue,  and  they  would  be  full  of  enthusiasm 
to  continue  the  war. 

M.  Miliukoff,  as  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  was  a 
thorn  in  Germany's  side,  for  they  knew  he  would 
lead  the  country's  politics  in  a  wise  and  righteous 
way.  No  one  expected  him  to  be  brilliant,  but  he 
could  be  trusted  to  be  true  to  the  Allies  and  have 
Russia's  interests  at  heart. 

A  feeling  of  mistrust  gradually  became  apparent 
among  the  Soldiers'  and  Workmen's  Deputies  against 
the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  which  culminated 
suddenly  in  a  fierce  onslaught  on  M.  Miliukoff. 
Hostile  demonstrations  took  place  against  the 
Provisional  Government,  processions  of  workmen 
and  soldiers  carried  red  banners  bearing  the  words  : 
"Doloy  Miliukoff  (away  Miliukoff).  No  annexations 
Q 


240      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

and  contributions  needed."  It  was  all  the  more 
senseless  for  the  war  had  not  entered  the  phase  when 
such  questions  could  be  discussed  from  Russia's 
and  the  Allies'  standpoint.  Consultations  and 
conferences  were  held,  the  Government  sought  a 
compromise,  for  they  felt  this  sudden  change  in  the 
Foreign  Ofhce  would  produce  an  unfavourable 
impression  on  our  Allies,  but  nothing  could  be  done. 
M.  Miliukoff  had  to  retire  and  was  replaced  by"  the 
Minister  of  Finance,  M.  Terestchenko. 

One  of  the  first  consequences  of  this  change  was 
the  revocation  of  M.  Sazonoff' s  appointment  as  the 
Russian  Ambassador  at  the  Court  of  St.  James's. 
The  nomination  was  made  by  the  Tzar,  a  couple  of 
months  before  the  momentous  events  that  called 
forth  his  abdication,  and  was  very  favourably 
received.  M.  Sazonoff  was  one  of  the  most  popular 
Ministers  in  Russia,  and  his  well-known  English 
sympathies,  and  his  zeal  to  bring  about  an  alliance 
with  Great  Britain,  made  him  eminently  fitted  to 
fill  the  part  allotted  to  him.  M.  Miliukoff  shared  these 
general  opinions,  but  in  the  eyes  of  the  Social 
Democrats,  M.  Sazonoff  was  considered  too  "  Im- 
perialistic," and  too  much  inclined  to  Anglomania 
to  suit  their  views.  At  the  eleventh  hour,  M. 
Sazonoff  was  robbed  of  the  post  he  was  to  occupy. 
He  had  completed  all  his  preparations  for  leaving 
Russia  for  several  years,  and  after  the  sale  of  all 
his  things,  had  left  his  apartnient  for  an  hotel, 
where  he  was  to  stay  until  the  day  of  his  departure, 
which  had  been  fixed  for  the  end  of  April,  o  /s. 

He  was  actually  sitting  in  the  train,  when  a  courier 
from  the  Prime  Minister  came    up  to  him  with  a 


I'.     N.     MII.HKOKK 
MINISTER    OK   KORKU;N    AKKAIRS    IN    TlIK    REPUBLICAN    MINISTRY 


THE  RULE  OF  DEMOCRACY         241 

letter  from  Prince  Lwoff.  M.  Sazonoff  stepped 
out  of  the  railway  carriage,  and  a  few  days  later 
it  became  known  that  he  had  definitely  quitted 
the  ser\dce  of  the  Government.  All  this  produced 
an  extremely  painful  impression,  for  it  was  easy 
to  understand  where  things  were  tending,  and  the 
Government  was  severely  blamed  for  thus  giving  in 
to  the  whims  of  the  socialists,  who  know  nothing 
of  politics  and  diplomatic  relations.  Up  to  the 
present  no  other  Ambassador  has  been  fixed  upon. 

This  was  the  third  concession  to  the  Labour 
Party.  The  first  was  the  arrest  of  the  Tzar  and  his 
family ;  the  second  the  putting  aside  of  M.  Rod- 
zianko  for  Prince  Lwoff  as  the  head  of  the  new 
Cabinet.  This  third  concession  only  served  to  mark 
the  utter  weakness  and  helplessness  of  the  present 
Government. 

The  War  Minister,  M'.  Gutchkoff,  was  the  next 
to  give  up  his  portfolio,  but  he  did  so  of  his  own 
free  will.  Many  people  blamed  him  for  this,  saying 
that  it  was  principally  owing  to  him  things  had 
got  into  such  a  tangle,  and  that  he  did  not  see  his 
way  to  unravel  them.  The  Prime  Minister,  Prince 
Lwoff,  strove  to  restrain  him  from  taking  this  step, 
but  the  thoroughly  disappointed  M.  Gutchkoff 
remained  obdurate.  The  Minister  of  Justice,  M. 
Kerensky,  took  upon  himself  the  administration 
of  the  War  Office. 

This   "  chasse  crois6 "   in  the  Cabinet  reminded 
one  rather  of  Kryloff's  fable,  "The  Quartette,"  in. 
which  a  bear,  a  donkey,  a  goat  and  a  monkey  desire 
to  play  a  quartette.     They  buy  instruments,  music, 
and  solemnly  sit  down  to  play,  issuing  the  most 


242      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

heartrending  dissonances,  instead  of  the  harmonious 
tunes  they  wished  to  evoke.  The  dismayed 
musicians  endeavour  to  improve  their  music  by 
changing  places,  but  do  v/hat  they  can,  discordant 
notes  are  the  result.  At  this  juncture  a  nightingale 
flies  past,  and  the  amateur  musicians  hasten  to 
consult  the  songster 'as  to  the  means  of  attaining 
success.  "We  have  instruments  and  music  books, 
tell  us  only  how  to  sit  ?  "  "  To  be  a  musician," 
replied  the  nightingale,  "  one  must  have  skill,  and 
you,  my  friends,  no  matter  where  you  sit,  you  are 
not, fit  to  be  musicians." 

The  position  was  getting  serious,  and  authority 
was  in  peril,  for  the  Provisional  Government  possesses 
no  real  power  and  is  obliged  to  connive  with  the 
Soldiers'  and  Workmen's  Deputies.  The  latter  realise 
the  superiority  of  their  position  and  their  pretensions 
keep  increasing.  Another  change  v/as  made  in 
the  Cabinet  :  new  Ministries  were  created,  and  the 
additional  portfolios  entrusted  to  members  of  the 
Socialist  Revolutionary  party,  but '  this  only  made 
m.atters  worse.  At  present  all  is  in  such  a  tangle 
of.  confusion  that  no  one  can  foresee  what  turn 
things  will  ultimately  take. 

Meanwhile  the  workmen's  claims  on  their  em- 
ployers are  getting  exorbitant,  and  threaten  com- 
pletely to  destroy  Russian  industr3^  The  workmen 
have  been  spoiled  by  prosperity.  Ever  since  the 
urgent  necessity  arose  of  speedily ,  pro viding  muni- 
tions for  the  army,  they  have  received  very  high 
wages,  but  this  unusual  affluence  instead  of  inspiring 
content  has  only  whetted  their  appetite,  and  incited 
by  German  provocators,  their  demands  know  no 


THE  RULE  OF  DEMOCRACY  243 

bounds.  The  Minister  of  Commerce  and  Industr>% 
M.  Konovaloff,  a  manufacturer  himself,  was  well 
able  to  gauge  the- situation  ;  but  finding  it  absolutely 
hopeless  under  present  conditions,  he  sent  in  his 
resignation  and  up  to  this  no  successor  has  been 
found  to  occupy  his  place. 

The  Social  Democratic  party  pride  themselves 
on  not  possessing  such  an  absurd  feeling  as  patriot- 
ism, they  are  "  Internationalists,"  and  "  Inter- 
nationalism "  is  their  watchword.  Most  of  the 
people  do  not  understand  the  meaning  of  the  word, 
but  they  think  it  high-sounding  and  clever,  and  go 
on  lustily  repeating  it.  W^hen  one  fathoms  the 
deeper  meaning  of  this  "  profession  de  foi  "  one  is 
obliged  to  acknowledge  that  it  is  not  so  abnormal 
as  it  appears,  for  the  influential  members  of  the 
party  are  not  Russians,  and  cannot  feel  as  Russians 
do. 

The  conception  of  liberty  in  the  unenlightened 
mind  of  the  simple  Russian  is  rather  original,  and 
would  make  people  in  western  countries  open  their 
eyes.  They  think  now  that  discipline,  authority  and 
order  are  done  with.  In  the  name  of  Liberty  all 
kinds  of  iniquities  can  be  committed  with  impunity. 
They  can  spit  in  the  streets,  in  railway  carriages  and 
in  tram-cars,  they  can  enter  a  tram-car  from  the 
wrong  side,  roughly  push  aside  a  woman  or  knock 
down  a  child  who  seems  to  impede  their  way.  They 
can  get  intoxicated  as  often  as  they  please,  stagger 
about  the  streets  in  an  inebriated  condition  and 
behave  as  objectionably  as  possible. 

The  public  parks,  gardens  and  squares  have 
become  unfit  for  any  decent-minded  woman  to  enter 


244      the;  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

on  a  holiday,  or  after  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening. 
The  benches  are  occupied  with  hilarious  soldiers  or 
workmen,  accompanied  by  their  inamoratas,  sitting 
together  in  the  most  indecorous  manner,  brazenly 
exchanging  kisses  and  coarse  jokes,  or  singing 
licentious  songs.  The  pathways  are  strewn  with 
burnt -out  cigarettes,  nutshells,  orange-peel,  and 
husks  of  helianthus.  The  lawns  are  trodden  upon, 
the  flowers  ruthlessly  gathered  ;  the  streets  and 
walks  remain  unwatered,  with  perpetual  dust-clouds 
rising,  which  the  misguided  pedestrian  has  to 
swallow  in  the  name  of  the  newly  acquired  liberty. 

Formerly  the  police  looked  after  the  outward  order 
of  the  town,  but  their  ineffectual  •  successors,  the 
Militia,  do  absolutely  nothing  but  pocket  their 
exorbitantly  large  salary.  Everything  is  left  to  its 
own  devices,  and  the  external  aspect  of  Petrograd 
has  assumed  a  tarnished  slatternly  air  most  dis- 
tressing to  observe. 

People  are  getting  very  tired  of  the  Revolution,  or 
rather  of  the  result  it  has  entailed.  The  position 
is  becoming  grave.  At  the  front  the  soldiers  sit 
with  folded  hands  and  do  nothing,  except  fraternize, 
or  mix  themselves  up  with  anarchism  and  marauding. 
The  labour-productiveness  has  decreased  in  the  same 
measure  as  the  monstrous  wages  to  the  workmen 
have  increased.  Most  people  see  clearly,  others  feel 
it  instinctively,  that  things  cannot  go  on  like  this 
much  longer.  The  Revolution  now  is  more  deeply 
hated  than  ever  was  Tzarism.  Not  a  single 
"  Right,"  or  Monarchical  press  organ  exists  and, 
notwithstanding  this  fact,  the  socialists  observe 
with    terror    the    daily    extending    propaganda    of 


• 


THE  RULE  OF  DEMOCRACY  245 

Monarchism,  and  what  is  worse  to  their  prejudiced 
eyes,  this  monarchical  tendency  is  taking  a  serious 
hold  of  youthful  minds — always  the  most  open  to 
impressions. 

While  the  Social  Democrats  are  daring  to  insult 
Russia  and  deride  her  glorious  past,  the  "Martyrs 
of  Ideas  "  stand  forth  on  the  "  Right  "  side  and  in 
the  people's  opinion  have  become  the  "  Martyrs  "  of 
Patriotism.  In  this  lies  the  great  danger  to  the 
Revolution,  because  in  the  natural  disgust  evoked  by 
the  events  that  have  lately  happened  in  the  name  of 
"  Liberty,"  there  is  a  decisive  movement  to  the 
"  Right  "  all  over  Russia,  which  is  deplored  by  the 
moderate  Revolulionists.  They  acknowledge  the 
mortifying  facts,  but  they  are  of  opinion  that  the 
reaction  that  has  set  in  must  not  tend  to  idealise 
the  former  regime  which  produced  the  Revolution. 

The  newly  acquired  "  Liberty  "  is  a  pure  fiction. 
As  a  matter  of  fact  there  is  no  such  thing  in  Russia  : 
people  have  only  exchanged  an  autocratic  Sovereign 
for  autocratic  Soldiers'  and  Workmen's  Deputies. 
No  one  dares  give  vent  to  a  frank  opinion  against  the 
existing  state  of  things.'  The  partisans  of  Monarch- 
ism or  "  Imperialism "  (the  new  denomination 
erected  by  the  socialists)  are  persecuted  as  were  the 
most  fanatical  nihilists  in  olden  times.  The  censor- 
ship continues  to  exist,  only  it  has  changed  hands  and 
is  at  present  directed  by  the  Soldiers'  and  Workmen's 
Deputies. 

There  have  been  cases  where  the  workmen  employed 
on  a  newspaper  have  been  forbidden  to  print  the 
next  number  because  some  article  had  displeased 
their  deputies,  or  they  would  inflict  the  penalty  on 


246      TKE  FALL  OF  TH*E  ROMANOFFS 

tlie  publish^er  of  not  permitting  the  paper  to  be  sold 
by  the  newspaper  boys.  There  was  a  moment  even 
when  the  workmen  and  soldiers  threatened  to  close 
the  printing  offices  of  those  newspapers,*  which  did 
not  meet  \vith  their  approval.  Most  of  the  publishers 
are  naturally  obliged  to  take  such  possibility  into 
account  and  "  freedom  of  speech  "  has  been  set 
at  naught,  although  it  had  been  pompously  an- 
nounced by  the  Revolutionists. 

M.  Purischkevitch  is  another  instance  of  the 
partiality  that  guides  the  Soldiers'  and  Workmen's 
Deputies  in  all  their  judgments.  When  in  the  first 
days  of  the  Revolution,  the  worthy  member  of  the 
Duma  made  an  oration  at  a  meeting  in  the  Mansion 
House,  he  gave  vent  to  the  following  words  in 
allusion  to  the  Empress  Alexandra  :  "I  thank  God 
'that  Russia  has  got  rid  of  the  woman  who  was  the 
first  German  spy  in  Russia,"  His  words  were 
frantically  applauded,  and  M.  Purischkevitch,  who 
had  likewise  contributed  to  rid  the  country  of 
Rasputine,  was  magnified  into  a  hero  of  patriotism. 

A  few  months  later  this  same  M.  Purischkevitch, 
profoundly  indignant  at  the  events  he  had  \ritnessed 
at  the  front,  addressed  an  open  letter  to  the  deputies 
of  the  soldiers  and  workmen,  severely  blaming 
them  for  the  way  they  were  imperilling  the  safety 
of  Russia,  and  pointing  out  the  dishonourable 
manner  they  were  conducting  the  war,  obstructing 
the  way  to  victory  by  encouraging  the  soldiers' 
disobedience,  and  putting  forward  all  kinds  of 
restrictions,  which  entirely  paralysed  all  efforts  of 
their  chiefs.    As  to  those  soldiers  who  persisted  in 

*  For  iastacce,  the  Kovoe  Vremia. 


THE  RULE  OF  DEMOCRACY  247 

going  over  to  the  German  trenches  to  fraternize  with 
the  enemy,  he  did  not  hesitate  to  stigmatise  them 
as  traitors  to  their  country.  .This  letter  incited  the 
fury  of  its  recipients  to  such  a  pitch  that  they  wished 
to  arrest  M.  Purischkevitch,  and  it  caused  M.  Keren- 
sky  a  great  deal  of  trouble  to  make  them  understand 
that  such  a  measure  would  be  in  direct  opposition 
with  the  recently  established  "  freedom  of  speech." 
However,  this  letter  did  not  appear  in  any  newspaper 
for  the  reason  that  the  Soldiers'  and  Workmen's 
Deputies  prohibited  it,  and  it  was  only  circulated 
amongst  the  public  in  type-written  copies,  like  the 
tabooed  speeches  of  MM.  Miliukoff,  Kerensky,  Count 
Bobrinsky  and  others,  in  the  time  of  the  old  Govern- 
ment. 

The  Provisional  Government,  however,  was  all 
the  time  hampered  with  the  fear  of  transgressing 
against  the  rights  of  Liberty.  For  this  reason  it 
dealt  leniently  with  the  anarchist  Lenine,  although 
the  general  opinion  was  that  he  ought  to  have  been 
arrested  and  taken  out  of  harm's  way  before  he  had 
time  to  strengthen  and  spread  his  forces.  The 
consequence  of  this  most  ill-advised  tolerance  to- 
wards such  a  dangerous  agitator  is  that  he  has  sent 
his  creatures  to  the  principal  towns  in  Russia,  and 
that  anarchy  and  strife  are  steadily  spreading  all 
over  the  country.  The  conditions  of  the  Black  Sea 
Fleet  were  up  to  this  exemplary,  but  a  few  days 
after  the  visit  of  Lenine's  emissary  to  Sevastopol 
there  were  serious  riots  amongst  the  sailors,  which 
induced  the  Commander,  Admiral  Kolchak,  one 
of  the  most  able  and  popular  of  Russian  Admirals, 
to  send  in  his  resignation.    At  this  rate  the  best 


248      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

army  leaders  and  officers  are  being  gradually 
removed  at  a  time  when  their  services  are  so  urgently 
•wanted. 

The  soldiers  and  workmen  have  been  continually 
put  forward  since  the  first  days  of  the  Revolution, 
but  there  are  yet  the  peasants,  who  represent  the 
great  majority  of  the  Russian  populace.  A  certain 
anxiety  was  felt  as  to  how  they  would  take  the 
overthrow  of  Tzardom.  Emissaries  from  the  Duma 
were  sent  all  over  the  country  to  explain  to  them 
the  position  of  affairs  and  attach  their  sympathies 
by  the  promise  of  an  increase  of  land.  Land  has 
always  been  the  most  seductive  bait  for  the  peasant. 
One  of  the  great e*st  insurgents  in  Russia,  who  lived 
about  two  centuries  ago,  Stenka  Razine,  was  the 
first  to  proclaim  the  watchword,  "  Zemlia  y  Volia  " 
(Land  and  Liberty),  which  has  since  entwined 
itself  around  each  peasant's  heart.  To  these  alluring 
words  Stenka  Razine  owed  his  numerous  followers 
and  the  success  which  he  and  his  band  of  insurgents 
•achieved  for  many  months,  before  tie  was  finally 
captured  and  executed. 

The  promise  of  land  did  not  fail  to  attract  the 
peasants  ;  but  they  preferred  not  to  wait  for  the 
legal  distribution  and  are  busily  monopoHsing 
private  estates  all  over  the  country.  The  present 
state  of  affairs  in  the  provinces  causes  general 
anxiety  as  to  the  future  ;  still  it  is  not  in  the  spirit 
of  the  Russian  peasant  to  become  a  socialist,  the 
instinct  of  possession  being  too  vividly  inherent 
in  his  nature.  The  sociaUsts  wish  all  land  to  belong 
to  the  country,  but  possessed  temporarily  by  the 
plan  who  works  on  it ;    but  the  sociahsts  make  a 


THE  RULE  OF  DEMOCRACY  249 

mistake  to  found  their  hopes  on  the  peasants,  for 
they  will  never  be  able  to  fathom  the  principles 
©f  socialism.  Their  love  of  their  land  is  elementary, 
they  would  do  anything  to  consolidate  the  possession 
of  land  they  have  a  right  to. 

.  The  origin  of  the  former  serfs  is  unknown  to  many, 
and  those  who  once  knew  have  forgotten  it.  Long 
before  there  were  serfs  by  law  in  Russia,  the  peasants 
voluntarily  bound  themselves  to  slavery  for  a  certain 
number  of  years  on  condition  that  the  land  they 
lived  on  should  be  considered  their  own.  This  gave 
the  stimulus  about  two  centuries  ago  to  one  of  the 
Russian  Empresses  to  bind  the  peasants  by  law 
to  belong  to  the  land  they  lived  on,  thus  becoming 
the  property  and  the  care  of  the  landowners. 

It  was  in  the  reign  of  Boris  Godunoff  (1598-1605) 
that  the  peasants  were  forbidden  to  leave  the  land 
they  lived  on  and  go  to  another  part  of  the  country, 
thus  irrevocably  attaching  them  to  one  particular 
estate.  Practically  they  became  serfs  from  that 
time,  but  it  was  in  Catherine  IFs  reign  that  the 
peasants  were  legally  allotted  to  the  proprietor 
of  the  land  as  his  serfs. 

The  institution  of  serfs  lasted  in  Russia  a  Uttle 
over  one  hundred  years.  They  were  finally  emanci- 
pated in  1 86 1  by  the  Emperor  Alexander  IL  The 
peasants  are  so  deeply  attached  to  their  land  that 
they  are  willing  to  brave  expense  and  go  to  law  for 
the  smallest  particle  that  is  being  withheld  from 
them.  The  affection  for  their  land  is  more  apparent 
and  far  deeper  than  their  attachment  to  the  members 
of  their  family,  for  they  will  not  hesitate  to  become 
the  mosti  implacable  foes  of  their  nearest  and  dearest 


250      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

kinsman  if,  in  sharing  their  land,  the  bit  one  wants 
is  taken  by  the  other.  They  will  make  use  of  the 
present  confusion  to  annex  the  land  of  proprietors 
or  wealthy  farmers,  without  having  to  buy  it, 
but  they  will  never  admit  that  the  land  allotted  to 
them  by  the  law  of  the  country  should  be  submitted 
to  the  socialistic  principle. 

Peasant  meetings  have  been  convoked  and  the 
peasants  have  sided  with  the  authorities  on  all 
questions  concerning  the  war.  They  have  blamed 
the  soldiers  for  their  inactivity,  and  have  pro- 
nounced themselves  in  favour  of  the  prolongation  of 
war  until  a  victory  renders  it  possible  to  make 
peace.  This  hostile  attitude  of  the  peasants  towards 
a  separate  peace  with  Germany  has  impressed  the 
soldiers,  v/ho  in  spirit  stand  nearer  to  the  peasants 
than  to  the  workmen,  for  each  soldier  aspires  to 
return  to  his  native  soil  and  become  a  peasant.  • 

For  some  time  the  relations  between  the  soldiers 
and  workmen  have  been  strained,  and  they  threaten 
to  become  more  strained  still.  Most  of  the  workmen 
incline  to  the  teaching  of  Lenine  and  the  anarchists  ; 
their  mind  is  not  subtle  enough  to  see  through  the 
treacherous  and  dangerous  precepts,  or  to  compre- 
hend that  Lenine  is  acting  solely  in  the  interests 
of  Germany.  The  workmen  and  the  soldiers,  although 
the  latter  are  in  great  minority,  have  put  such  men 
as  Lenine  and  Zinovieff  on  pedestals,  and  look  up 
to  them  as  to  apostles  of  proletarian  felicity. 

The  misunderstanding  that  is  at  present  exciting 
them  is  provoked  by  the  following  incident.  Over 
a  month  ago,  when  the  Germanophile  Lenintzys  had 
attained  the  zenith  of  their  impudence,  they  openly 


THE  RULE  OF  DEMOCRACY  251 

annexed  several  uninhabited  private  dwellings  for 
the  use  of  their  association.  The  mansion  of  the 
Duke  of  Leuchtenberg  was  thus  occupied  for  two  or 
three  days  and  robbed  of  many  valuables.  The 
dancer  Madame  Kschessinsky's  solicitor  can  do 
nothing  to  expel  the  band  of  anarchists  that  are 
living  in'  the  artiste's  house,  where  they  have  com- 
pletely ruined  the  costly  furniture  and  the  silken  and 
plush  draperies.  The  luxuriously  appointed  bath- 
room of  the  dancer,  situated  on  the  second  floor  is  in 
a  disgusting  state,  and  the  large  white  marble  basin 
set  into  the  floor  with  steps  leading  down  to  it  is 
filled  for  over  a  yard  high  with  burnt-out  cigarette- 
ends,  proving  that  the  anarchists  used  it  exclusively 
as  a  huge  ash  tray. 

The  day  has  been  repeatedly  fixed  by  the  magis- 
trate for  the  intruders  to  quit  the  premises.  On  the 
day  preceding  the  last  term  settled  for  their  exit, 
the  solicitor  called  at  the  house  to  see  if  they  would 
voluntarily  leave  the  next  day  without  giving 
trouble  as  they  had  promised.  He  heard  sounds  of 
music  and  laughter  and  found  the  garden  illuminated, 
the  ball-room  brilliantly  lighted  up  and  gaudily 
dressed  women  merrily  whirling  round  the  room  in 
the  arms  of  soldiers  and  workmen.  The  Lenintzys- 
anarchists  were  giving  a  ball !  The  next  day  was 
fixed  for  the  judical  hegira,  but  the  authorities  were 
helpless,  and  the  necessary  array  of  men  to  enforce 
the  verdict  was  not  forthcoming.  Since  the  ex- 
istence of  judicature  in  Russia  this  is  the  first  case 
of  a  judgment  that  could  not  be  carried  out. 

The  beautiful  ■  villa  of  General  Dournovo  on  the 
Islands  was  invaded  by  the  anarchists,  who  elected 


252      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

to  settle  their  staff  in  this  luxurious  dwelling  and 
establish  in  it  their  headquarters.  The  law  gave  the 
o^vner  the  right  to  expel  the  usurpers,  according  them 
however  ample  time  to  find  other  accommodation. 
In  principle  they  agreed  to  leave,  but  they  keep 
putting  off  the  day  of  their  move.  All  was  done 
to  avoid  a  scandal,  and  when  they  requested  another 
month  to  find  other  quarters,  it  was  accorded  to 
them  and  the  Procurator  Besobrasoff  spent  a  whole 
day  driving  about  the  town  in  search  of  suitable 
house-room  for  the  anarchists. 

The  last  term  is  approaching  and  there  is  a  rumour 
that  they  will  not  leave  peacably.  The  workmen 
will  side  with  them  and  excesses  are  dreaded,  but 
should  there  be  trouble  the  garrison  and  the  majority 
of  the  soldiers  (except  those  who  are  anarchists) 
will  go  against  the  rioters.  Besides  these  armed 
forces  the  Government  will  be  supported  by  70,000 
Cossacks  and  the  "Wild  Division,"  which  is  quartered 
in  Petrograd,  and  is  ready  at  any  moment  to  fight  the 
insubordinate  workmen  and  anarchists.  This 
precaution  is  considered  as  an  attempt  at  a  counter- 
Revolution,  and  the  workmen  declare  they  will  go 
to  any  extreme  to  safeguard  the  privileges  they  have 
obtained.  Strikes,  riots  and  disorders  are  impending, 
and  only  a  merciful  Providence  knows  how  all  will 
end. 

Some  of  the  resolutions  given  out  by  the  Soldiers' 
and  Workmen's  Deputies  reveal  a  somewhat  dis- 
torted point  of  view.  They  have  decreed  that  every 
soldier  that  is  seen  in  the  streets  in  an  inebriated 
condition  must  be  instantly  sent  to  the  front, 
making  a  penalty  out  of  what  every  soldier  ought  to 


THE  RULE  OF  DEMOCRACY  253 

consider  the  first  duty  to  his  country.  The  following 
fact  is  another  instance.  Two  clerks  of  the  Artillery 
Warehouse  in  Cronstadt,  Terentieff  and  Fissoff  by 
name,  came  to*  the  conclusion  that  "  except  idly 
prowling  from  one  anarchical  meeting  to  another, 
they  could  be  of  no  use  to  anyone,"  they  therefore 
addressed  a  petition  to  their  particular  committee 
begging  to  be  sent  to  the  front.  The  committee 
found  the  request  so  strange  that  they  could  not  take 
the  decision  upon  themselves  without  submitting 
it  to  the  General  Council  of  Deputies  in  Cronstadt. 
The  Council  conferred  on  the  subject  for  a  long  time 
giving  out  the  following  resolution  :  "  Shame  to 
the  comrades  Terentieff  and  Fissoff  for  taking  an 
independent  departure  at  such  a  moment  and 
seeking  to  be  transferred  "  ! 

Here  is  a  letter  from  a  soldier,  who  reveals  the 
real  feeling  of  the  army  : 

Six  days  ago  I  returned  from  the  front,  where  I  have  spent 
nearly  three  years  without  quittirg  the  trenches,  and  was 
all  the  time  in  the  vanguard.  I  took  part  in  the  battle  of 
Soldau,  I  fought  at  Warsaw  and  Lonsha,  was  wounded 
several  times,  and  I  am  at  present  in  Petrograd  on  leave. 
I  and  my  fellow-soldiers  are  dismayed  with  all  that  is  happen- 
ing here.  Who  cries  against  the  war  ?  Who-  protests 
against  the  enemy  ?  Only  those  who  have  not  been  at  the 
front.  Who  listen  to  Lenine  and  Zinovieff  ?  We  are 
soldiers  and  acknowledge  only  the  War  Minister.  As  soon 
as  we  shall  receive  his  order  we  shall  break  the  German 
front.  We  must  vanquish  them  to  liberate  our  captives 
from  their  clutches. 

Thirteen  of  our  comrades  succeeded  in  eluding  the  German 
vigilance  ;  they  reported  themselves  to  the  staff  of  our 
division.  The  account  of  their  escape  is  full  of  horror ; 
they  crawled  most  of  the  way  for  fear  of  being  detected. 


254      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

and  the  skin  was  torn  off  their  hards  and  feet  and  breasts. 
They  were  exhausted  with  their  privations,  h?lf-famished 
with  hurger,  and  it  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  they 
reached  their  country,  every  minute  risking  death. 

And  Lerine,  he  travelled  comfortably  and  fearlessly 
through  Gennany  !  Whst  does  he  want  ?  Peace  ?  No, 
not  pence ;  he  only  throws  bombs  from  above.  If  he 
arrived  in  Russia  with  good  intentions,  why  has  he  not 
gone  to  the  front,  instead  of  sitting  in  Kschessinsky's 
house  ? 

If  he  wishes  for  peace,  lot  him  set  our  war-prisoners  free. 
"  Doloy  Voinou  "  (av/ay  with  the  war)  is  the  cry  of  cowards, 
of  those  who  have  not  been  in  the  trenches.  We  are  re- 
volted with  the  men  who  won't  come  to  our  help,  who  run 
away  like  deserters  and  hide  in  the  rear. 

Help  is  wanted  at  the  front.  Our  comrades  must  come 
to  their  senses  and  follow  us.  We  appenl  to  each  of  them. 
Let  them  think  of  us,  livirg  in  trenches  for  long  months, 
seeing  nothing  but  the  trees  of  the  forest  ar.d  the  sky  above. 
And  what  are  they  doing? — forgettirg  their  country  and 
their  family,  they  spend  their  time,  with  loose  wom.en, 
munching  helianthus  seeds,  sellirg  flowers  and  cigarettes. 
Is  it  the  business  of  a  soldier  to  be  doing  a  jobber's  trade? 
Corporal  Stepan*  Vinogradoff 

of  the  32r.d  Infantry  Division. 

A  soldier  coming  from  Mohilev  who  wa.s  a  witness 
of  the  arrest  of  the  Tzar  and  of  his  departure  from 
Headquarters,  describes  the'  scene  quite  'differently 
from  the  account  which  was  given  out  officially. 
It  was  s?id  that  a  dead  silence  reigned  the  whole 
time,  whereas  in  reality  the  soldier  inmates  of  the 
Stavka  were  terribly  upset.  When  the  Tzar  took 
leave  of  them,  thanking  them  for  their  services, 
every  one  of  them  wept,  the  Emperor  was  visibly 
moved.     VvTien   the   Sovereign   entered   the   train, 

•  Stepan  "in  Russiac  Stephen. 


THE  RULE  OF  DEMOCRACY  255 

which  slowly  moved  off,  agonizing  sobs  were  heard, 
and  several  soldiers  had  hysterics. 

Meanwhile  the  anarchist  members  of  the  Soldiers* 
and  Workmen's  Deputies  desire  to  concentrate  all 
power  and  administration  of  the  country  in  the 
hands  of  the  proletariats.  They  show  plainly  that 
they  used  the  Duma  and  their  leaders  only  as  a  means 
to  gain  their  ends.  Having  done  so  with  great 
success,  they  would  like  to  get  rid  of  their  former 
auxiliaries,  and  in  their  impudence  they  have  decreed 
to  do  away  with  the  State  Duma  and  the  Upper 
Chamber  as  **  Imperialistic  institutions,"  tjius  saving 
the  nation  the  yearly  expense  of  five  millions  of 
roubles. 

The  Duma  has  never  been  popular  with  the  nation 
at  large,  and  the  majority  consider  it  has  only 
brought  harm  to  the  country;  still,  this  resolution 
of  the  Soldiers'  and  Workmen's  Deputies  can  only 
be  looked  upon  with  contempt.  M.  Rodzianko 
takes  no  notice  of  this  decree,  and  the  sittings 
continue  as  usual.  At  Prince  Lwoff' s  request  the 
Duma  is  shortly  moving  into  the  Palace  Marie, 
where  the  Upper  Chamber  dwells.  The  Tauride 
Palace  is  to  be  adapted  for  the  great  convocation 
of  electors,  who  alone  will  have  the  right  to  decide 
on  the  future  fate  of  Russia  and  establish  the  form 
of  government. 

Weary  of  the  dispiriting  state  of  things  that  reigns 
in  Russia,  people  are  commencing  to  realise  the 
personal  motives  that  guided  the  leaders  of  the 
Revolution,  and  are  inclined  to  blame  the  members 
of  the  Duma  for  giving  the  revolutionary  movement 
the  sanction  of  their  support  at  such  an  important 

R 


256      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

historical  moment,  when  interior  disturbances  should 
have  been  avoided.  As  long  as  the  Revolution 
was  kept  within  the  bounds  of  reason  and  moderation 
the  nation  welcomed  the  change,  seeing  in  it  the 
means  to  conclude  the  war  victoriously,  without 
the  dishonour  of  a  separate  peace,  and  exhilarated 
with  the  hope  of  the  future  progress  of  the  country. 

As  things  are  turning  out,  the  public  is  becoming 
displeased,  for  things  are  going  from  bad  to  worse. 
The  harmony  amidst  the  "  saviours  "  of  Russia,  like 
the  hopes  of  the  -nation,  lasted  only  about  a  month. 
Signs  of  the  Provisional  Government's  helplessness 
began  to  manifest  themselves  and  caused  the  first 
qualms  of  anxiety  to  be  felt.  The  merit  of  MM. 
Rodzianko,  Gutchkoff  and  Kerensky,  as  well  as  of 
the  executive  committee  of  the  Duma,  consisted  in 
the  fact  of  their  having  so  rapidly  formed  a  new 
Government,  thus  saving  the  country  from  the 
dangers  of  anarchy.  But  anarchy  followed  never- 
theless, as  the  fatal  and  unavoidable  result  of  the 
foregoing  events  and  the  seeming  deliverance  was 
only  a  reprieve. 

The  power  of  the  Provisional  Government  was 
only  fictitious.  As  a  matter  of  fact  its  actions  were 
from  the  first  day  openly  and  officially  submitted 
to  the  Council  of  Soldiers'  and  Workmen's  Deputies, 
thus  putting  them  in  authority  over  the  Government. 
Power  under  continual  surveillance  is  no  power: 
therefore  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  the  Govern- 
ment was  repeatedly  obliged  to  give  in  to  the  real 
masters  of  the  situation  and,  like  M.  Gutchkoff,  end 
by  leaving  the  coast  clear  for  their  representatives 
to  fill  the  vacant  places, 


THE  RULE  OF  DEMOCRACY  257 

On';  of  the  rooted  customs  of  bygone  days  among 
the  Russian  merchant  classes,  was  to  secure  the 
presence  of  one  or  several  generals  to  assist  at  the 
weddings  and  funerals  in  their  families.  The 
generals  attending  these  solemn  occasions  in  their 
glittering  uniforms,  with  all  their  orders  and  decora- 
tions, gave  to  them  a  certain  brilliancy  and  import- 
ance ;  the  venerable  veterans,  on  their  side,  were 
easily  prevailed  upon  to  attend  such  pageants, 
which  were  always  followed  by  a  sumptuous  banquet, 
at  which  the  warriors  were  the  most  honoured  guests. 
This  time-honoured  custom  originated  the  expression 
**  wedding-general  "  and  "  funeral-general." 

The  role  allotted  by  the  Revolutionists  to  M. 
Rodzianko  and  Prince  Lwoff  was  the  historical 
part  of  generals  assisting  at  a  merchant  wedding. 
Their  participation  impressed  the  people  with  confi- 
dence, but  they  only  gave  the  bride  away,  they  were, 
not  the  happy  bridegrooms. 

The  renovated  Provisional  Government,  filled  with 
members  of  the  Council  of  Soldiers'  and  Workmen's 
Deputies,  is  much  nearer  in  spirit  to  the  democratic 
leaders  of  the  Revolution,  but  even  they  are  powerless 
to  stem  the  growth  of  anarchy  in  the  army  and  in  the 
country.  The  utter  ruin  of  everything  manifests 
itself  everywhere  :  in  every  department,  in  every 
jurisdiction,  in  every  single  part  of  the  country's 
administration.  The  Ministrj^  of  the  Interior  seems 
to  have  plunged  into  Nirvana,  from  the  time  Prince 
Lwoff  undertook  its  direction  and  continues  in  the 
blissful  state  between  existence  and  non-existence. 

The  Ministry  of  Justice  seems  powerless  to  stop 
the  most  daring  violation  of  the  country's  criminal 


258      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

and  civil  laws,  which  it  should  be  their  duty  to 
guard  against  infraction.  The  responsible  Minister 
is  forced  to  close  his  eyes  to  the  revolting  acts  of  the 
anarchists,  who  stop  at  nothing  in  their  brazen 
insolence.  The  police,  as  I  have  already  mentioned, 
are  non-existent,  for  the  Chinese  phantoms  that 
prowl  about  the  streets,  with  th6  Militia  badge 
round  their  arm  and  who  are  never  to  be  found  in  an 
emergency,  are  not  to  be  depended  upon. 

The  existing  tariff  for  the  cabmen  was  abolished 
during  the  first  days  of  the  Revolution,  and  has  not 
been  re-established.  The  cabmen  consequently 
charge  fancy  prices.  For  a  distance  that  in  former 
days  would  have  cost  from  20  to  80  copeks,  they 
now  demand  from  two  to  seven  roubles,  sometimes 
more  than  that.  The  post  and  telegraph  systems 
are  also  in  a  wretched  state.  The  Ministry  of  Labour 
is  on  the  eve  of  becoming  the  labourless  ministry. 

A  political  refugee  has  been  appointed  at  the  head 
ot  the  Ministry  of  Food.  The  Minister  is  known  as  a 
clever  theoretist,  but  he  knows  hardly  anything  of 
Rus^^ia  and  Russian  ways,  as  political  circumstances 
forced  him  to  live  and  grow  old  in  foreign  lands. 
Nothing  has  been  done  to  relieve  the  difficulties  of 
getting  food,  or  to  reduce  the  existing  exorbitant 
prices.  The  Ministry  of  Food  is  more  like  the 
Ministry  of  Famine,  as  with  the  increasing  shortage 
of  food-stuffs  and  the  high  prices  which  increase  ever 
more  quickly  than  the  choice  of  food  decreases, 
people  will  soon  not  be  able  to  find  food  at  all. 

As  to  the  unfortunate  Minister  of  Finance,  he  does 
not  know  what  to  do  and,  wringing  his  hands  at  the 
desperate  outlook,  he  can  only  think  of  the  old 


THE  RULE  GF  DEMOCRACY  259 

saying  :  "  Give  me  good  politics  and  I  will  give  you 
good  finance."  The  Ministry  of  War  is  hopelessly 
struggling  with  the  consequences  of  its  own  mistakes 
and  errors.  The  Ministry  of  Commerce  and 
Industry  is  chiefless  since  the  resignation  of  M. 
Konovaloff.  His  resignation  will  be  better  under- 
stood in  England  than  here,  where  it  created  great 
indignation;  To  make  myself  clearer  I  will  give  an 
instance  of  why  he  resigned. 

One  of  the  most  important  Russian  manufacturers 
was  recently  in  Petrograd  and  related  that  the  works 
which,  prior  to  the  Revolution,  delivered  from 
eighteen  to  twenty  engines  a  month,  now  produce 
only  five.  Since  the  Revolution  the  productiveness 
of  labour  has  decreased  by  seventy-five  per  cent., 
whilst  the  wages  of  the  workmen  have  increased 
fourfold. 

**  Perhaps  you  lack  raw  material  ?  '*  the  manu- 
facturer was  asked. 

**  Certainly  not,"  was  the  reply.  "  Last  year  we  had 
stores  of  metal  and  coal  to  the  value  of  four  hundred 
thousand  roubles,  whereas  at  the  present  moment 
our  stores  amount  to  eight  and  a  half  millions  of. 
roubles." 

The  figures  speak  for  themselves. 

The  Ministry  of  Ways  and  Communications  is  no 
exception  to  the  prevailing  rule.  Greasers  and 
stokers  direct  many  of  the  most  important  depart- 
ments. This  has  brought  the  conditions  of  the 
Ministry  to  a  state  of  utter  chaos.  If  the  prophecies 
of  clever  engineers  and  private  railway  companies 
are  to  be  believed,  it  threatens  the  country  with  a 
colossal  catastrophe. 


260      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

Out  of  motives  of  personal  vanity,  political 
leaders  in  search  of  popularity  play  into  the  hands  of 
the  demagogues  and  the  proletariat,  without  a 
thought  of  the  unfortunate  country  which  is  agoniz- 
ing under  the  burden  of  democracy  and  socialism,  or 
of  their  countrymen  who  have  been  liberated  from 
the  autocratic  yoke  of  Tzardom  only  to  become  the 
victims  of  autocratic  demagogues. 

Political  parties  and  factions  are  full  of  expectation. 
Political  passions  are  excited  by  virulent  orations. 
People  seem  to  have  nothing  to  do  but  frequent 
political  gatherings,  make  speeches  or  listen  to  them. 
The  most  busy  Ministers  are  seen  at  all  the  most 
important  meetings.  Cataracts  of  high-sounding 
words  are  being  daily  pronounced  .  .  .  but 
where  are  the  deed^  which  the  nation  is  craving  for  ? 
Unhappy  Russia  I 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THE  tzar's  troubles 

THE  political  troubles  that  darkened  the 
beginning  of  the  reign  of  Nicholas  I  pre- 
vented him  from  achieving  several  liberal 
reforms,  which  he  had  planned,  but  Alexander  II 
knew  he  was  fulfilling  his  father's  will  when,  in  1861, 
he  emancipated  the  serfs. 

Up  to  that  moment  the  gentry,  consisting  of  land- 
owners, were  responsible  for  the  material  well-being 
of  the  peasants  who  lived  on  th^ir  land,*  but  the 
Emancipation  Act  wrought  a  complete  change  in 
these  relations,  freeing  the  peasants  from  their 
Servile  dependence,  but  at  the  same  time  relieving 
the  proprietor  of  their  support.  A  modus  vivendi 
had  to  be  thought  of  to  give  the  peasants  the  means 
of  gaining  a  livelihood.  The  noblemen  were  com- 
pulsorily  dispossessed  of  part  of  their  domains,  and 
the  land  taken  was  given  over  collectively  to  the 
community  of  liberated  serfs.  .  The  landowners 
received  an  indemnification  from  the  Crown,  but 
many  wealthy  proprietors  preferred  to  pass  over  the 
land  to  the  peasants  as  a  gift. 

To  the  rich  landlord,  owning  thousands  of  acres, 
the  loss  of  a  small  portion  of  his  vast  property  was 
immaterial,  but  it  impoverished  the  proprietors  of 

261 


262      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

small  estates,  who  hitherto  had  lived  very  com- 
fortably. To  some  of  them  it  spelt  ruin.  The 
weakening  of  the  land-owning  nobility  as  a  corpora- 
tion dates  back  to  that  period. 

The  sequestered  land,  however,  was  inadequate  to 
satisfy  the  needs  of  millions  of  peasants,  and  the 
portion  individually  allotted  to  each  was  very  small. 
They  had  hardly  enough  pasture  to  feed  their  cattle, 
and  if  a  peasant's  cow  wandered  on  to  the  squire's 
meadow,  the  cow  was  confiscated  until  the  fine  of 
thirty  copeks  was  paid.  All  this  created  continual 
friction  and  heart-burning,  causing  a  feeling  of  ill- 
wdll  towards  the  landlord. 

The  majority  of  the  emancipated  serfs  never 
fathomed  the  nobility  of  the  Tzar's  motives  in 
granting  them  their  lon^-coveted  liberty.  They 
were  under  the  impression  that  the  monarch  was 
hostile  to  the  nobility,  and  had  taken  part  of  their 
land  from  them  as  a  punishment.  This  naive  idea 
was  fostered  and  encouraged  by  evil-minded  people, 
who  established  themselves  in  the  midst  of  the 
peasants  intent  on  gaining  influence  and  provoking 
ill-feeling  between  the  landlords  and  peasants. 
An  over- honest  nihilist  who  dared  to  breathe  a 
word  against  the  Sovereign  would  be  pitilessly 
beaten  and  hounded  out  of  the  village,  but  the 
more  astute  agitators  were  cautious,  pretending  to 
be  the  Tzar's  most  loyal  and  devoted  subjects, 
whilst  all  the  time  they  devoted  their  energy  to 
undermining  the  peasants*  loyalty  to  their  former 
proprietors. 

The  most  incongruous  tales  were  spread,  and 
firmly  believed  by  the  villagers,  that  the  Tzar  wislied 


THE  TZAR'S  TROUBLES  263 

to  give  the  whole  of  the  land  to  the  peasants,  but 
that  he  had  been  overruled  by  the  nobihty.  They 
were  convinced  that  the  Emperor  hated  the  gentry, 
and  would  not  interfere  in  their  favour  if  their 
houses  were  burnt,  sacked  and  pillaged,  their  forests 
destroyed,  etc.  This  was  the  keynote  to  all  the 
riots  and  agrarian  disturbances  that  at  times  de- 
vastated the  private  estates  in  Russia. 

Russia. is  pre-eminently  an  agricultural  country, 
and  the  majority  of  its  population  belong  to  the 
peasantry.  The  Tzar  Alexander  III  felt  that  Russian 
well-being  lay  in  the  rational  development  of 
agriculture  and  forestry  all  over  the  country.  The 
Sovereign's  desire  was  that  most  of  the  peasants 
should  remain  farmers  and  labourers,  live  and  work 
on  their  land  or  on  the  land  of  the  proprietors. 

All  sorts  of  financial  facilities  were  accorded  by 
Alexander  III  to  the  landed  gentry,  as  well  as  to 
the  peasantry,  for  acquiring  land  and  obtaining 
loans  for  its  improvement  at  a  low  rate  of  interest, 
and  with  all  kinds  of  privileges  as  to  repayment. 
This  was  done  to  encourage  the  gentry  to  keep  their 
estates,  and  to  help  the  peasants  to  acquire  more 
land  when  the  opportunity  presented  itself.  To 
further  this  aim  two  agrarian  banks  were  founded, 
for  the  nobility  and  for  the  peasants'  benefit. 

The  Tzar  foresaw  the  ruin,  of  Russia  in  the  in- 
creasing growth  of  the  proletarian  element.  He 
disapproved  of  the  wealthy  peasant  sending  his 
son  to  the  gymnasium  and  subsequently  to  the 
university,  instead  of  having  his  son  taught  in  a 
practical  agricultural  school.  All  kinds  of  obstacles 
were  placed  in  the  way  of  people  of  the  lower  ranks 


264      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

giving  a  good  education  to  their  offspring.  This  has 
been  imputed  to  the  late  Tzar  as  the  outcome  of 
retrogression,  and  is  looked  upon  as  a  proof  of  his. 
being  a  foe  of  the  democracy. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  Tzar  had  the  happiness 
of  all  his  subjects  at  heart,  and  he  considered  the 
best  security  of  their  well-being  was  for  people 
to  remain  in  their  own  rank,  and  to  live  contentedly 
in  the  conditions  of  life  they  were  born  to.  In 
Alexander  Ill's  opinion  a  high  education  could  only 
have  a  disastrous  influence  on  the  son  of  a  peasant, 
for  the  development  of  his  mental  faculties  would 
be  out  of  keeping  with  his  unrefined  nature,  resulting 
only  in  discontent  with  his  surroundings,  detaching 
him  from  his  native  soil,  and  inspiring  him  with 
contempt  for  his  simple-minded,  uncouth  parents. 
Such  half-educated  young  men  and  women  in- 
creased the  growth  of  the  proletariat.  They  turned 
a  willing  ear  to  the  wild  teachings  of  the  socialists, 
and  became  an  easy  prey  to  the  revolutionists 
in  search  of  political  converts. 

It  was  mostly  to  such  inexperienced  neophytes 
that  the  accomplishment  of  terroristic  acts  was 
confided.  It  sounds  paradoxical,  but  it  is  neverthe- 
less the  truth,  that  in  Russia  the  sudden  education- 
craze  of  raw  and  totally  unprepared  minds  wrought 
much  harm  and  caused  disaster. 

Russian  people  are  inclined  to  extremes.  A 
sensible  middle-class  schooling  is  not  appreciated. 
If  a  boy  be  lazy,  he  will  all  his  life  remain  a  semi- 
illiterate  dunce,  hardly  able  to  read  and  write. 
If  on  the  contrary  he  is  gifted  with  even  second- 
rate  abilities,  he  thinks  himself  a  second  Lomonos- 


THE  TZAR'S  TROUBLES  265 

soff,*  and  aspires  to  the  university,  although  in 
most  cases  he  has  neither  the  brains  nor  the  means 
to  finish  with  honours. 

A  great  drawback  of  the  Russian  high  schools 
and  colleges  was  that  the  boys  were  more  absorbed 
in .  politics  than  in  their  studies.  They  neglect 
their  work,  but  they  would  attend  secret  meetings  t 
to  discuss  the  defects  and  misuses  of  the  Govern- 
ment. It  is  among  the  students  that  the  nihilists 
and  socialists  found  their  most  eager  auxiliaries. 

The  young  Russians  never  could  understand  that 
they  are  sent  to  college  to  develop  their  brains  and 
mind,  and  are  not  called  upon  to  improve  the 
Government.  Because  of  this  political  tendency, 
many  parents  objected  to  send  their  sons  to  college, 
except  to  the  so-called  privileged  ones  (the  Lyceum 
and  th«  School  of  Jurisprudence),  which  are  ex- 
pensive, and  where  everyone  is  not  admitted. 

Unfortunately,  the  democratic  Government  in- 
tends to  abolish  these  privileged  colleges,  as  well 
as  the  colleges  for  girls  (institutes)  all  over  Russia, 
which  were  under  the  patronage  of  the  Dowager 
Empress  Marie.  Henceforth  there  are  only  to  be 
gymnasiums  and  universities  accessible  to  everyone. 
In  their  determination  to  annihilate  all  vestige  of 
"  Imperialism  "  the  democratic  Government  is  des- 
troying everything,  evei?  those  perfectly  organised 
institutions  that  were  a  blessing  to  so  many. 

Some  of  the  villages,  especially  in  the  proximity 

•  Lomonossoff,  one  of  Russia's  greatest  men  and  poets,  was  the  son  o' 
a  simple  fisherman  in  Kholmogory  (province  of  Archangel),  He  was  born 
in  1711,  and  is  considered  the  creator  of  Russian  poetry.  He  was  the  first 
national  writer  who  rhymed  his  verses. 

t  During  the  old  regime  such  meetings  had  to  be  clandestine. 


266      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

of  large  towns,  are  frequently  quite  deserted  by 
young  and  able  men.  The  wealthy  pursue  their 
studies  or  their  professions  ;  the  poor  leave  their 
native  village  to  work  in  manufactories,  where  the 
wages  and  the  gay,  dissolute  town  life  attracts  them. 
Only  old  people  remain  in  the  villages,  and  the  lack 
of  farming  hands  is  often  felt,  thus  imperilling  the 
security  of  the  harvest.  Town  life,  under  the 
workman's  conditions,  completely  demoralises  the 
rustic  youths.  They  become  a  rough,  riotous  lot, 
and  are  considered  the  worst  element  of  the  people, 
held  in  contempt  by  the  villagers,  who  scornfully 
call  them  "  fabritchnye." 

Alexander  III  wished  to  stem  this  fatal  tide, 
which,  in  his  opinion,  was  at  the  bottom  of  people's 
dissatisfaction,  causing  the  unhappiness  such  par- 
tially educated  people  were  bound  to  feel.  They  are 
morally  detached  from  everyone  and  everything 
originally  belonging  to  them.  Their  intellect  out- 
grows the  mental  calibre  of  their  kinsfolk,  yet  they 
cannot  join  the  higher  classes,  owing  to  their  lack 
of  breeding. 

During  the  recent  days  of  revolution,  when  the 
Chanceries  of  Ministries  were  ransacked,  a  report 
of  the  Minister  of  Public  Instruction  was  found 
bearing  on  this  vexed  question,  with  the  following 
pencil  mark  in  Alexander  Ill's  hand  :  "  That  is  the 
misfortune,  every  peasant  wants  his  son  to  go  to 
the  gymnasium." 

The  revolutionists  got  hold  of  this  document, 
distorted  the  Tzar's  motive,  and  long  tirades  were 
printed  in  the  daily  papers  against  Alexander  III 
for  being  the  sworn  enemy  of  democracy. 


THE  TZAR'S  TROUBLES  267 

Nicholas  II  was  brought  up  in  his  father's  ideas, 
and,  having  not  only  a  deep  affection  but  a  great 
admiration  for  his  father's  wisdom,  he  endeavoured, 
especially  during  the  first  years  of  his  reign,  to 
emulate  him,  but  the  methods  of  the  son  were 
always  less  arbitrary  than  were  those  of  his  father. 
One  of  the  most  honest  and  well-intentioned  of 
monarchs,  Nicholas  II  was  not  only  hampered  by 
lack  of  strength  of  purpose,  he  was  continually 
pursued  by  his  fatal  ill-luck.  He  never  wished  to 
occupy  the  exalted  position  of  Tzar  of  all  the 
Russians,  and  would  willingly  have  escaped  his 
impending  fatie. 

As  quite  a  young  man  when  it  was  hoped  his 
father's  life  would  last  several  decades,  the  Tzesr 
sarevitch  Nicholas  expressed  his  desire  to  resign 
to  his  brother  the  rights  to  the  Throne.  This 
rumour  spread  with  great  persistence,  but  it  was 
carefully  hushed  up.  The  Tzar,  fond  father  though 
he  was,  did  not  see  his  way  to  circumvent  the  laws 
of  heredity.  When  Alexander  III  died,  the  Tzes- 
sarevitch  knew  he  was  obeying  his  father's  wish, 
and,  without  an}''  further  demur,  he  ascended  the 
throne  and  endeavoured  to  do  his  duty ;  but 
fate  and  circumstances  combined  to  render  the 
burden  too  heavy.  His  reign  was  an  unfortunate 
one.  The  ex-Tzar  is  perfectly  aware  of  his  ill-luck: 
the  following  story  proves  it. 

After  the  disturbances  of  1905-1906,  one  of  the 
Ministers,  after  sending  in  his  resignation,  was 
received  by  the  Sovereign  in  private  audience. 

"  And  what  shall  you  do  now  ?  "  queried  the 
Tzar,  in  the  course  of  conversation. 


268      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

*'  I  shall  spend  the  greater  part  of  the  year  in 
the  country,"  was  the  statesman's  response.  "  I 
shall  be  very  busy  with  an  historical  work."  A  short 
silence  ensued,  after  which  the  Tzar  added  : 

"  How  I  should  like  to  be  in  your  place,  but," 
said  the  Sovereign  in  a  low  voice,  "  I  was  born  on 
the  day  of  the  long-suffering  Job.*  Strive  as  I 
can,  no  attempt  of  mine  succeeds.  Everything 
I  think  "of,  all  the  plans  I  wish  to  carry  out,  all 
end  in  failure." 

The  ex-Tzar  is  quite  resigned  to  his  present  fate, 
and  shows  a  brave  front  to  the  sentinels  who  guard 
him,  but  his  moral  anguish  must  be  fathomless. 
The  majority  of  the  sentinel-officers  which  surround 
him  are  rough  fellows,  who  take  a  certain  pride  in 
being  insolent  to  the  former  monarch,  but  the  latter, 
under  the  most  trying  circumstances,  remains  in- 
variably courteous,  calmly  ignoring  their  sUghts. 
Since  the  warm  weather  has  set  in  the  ex-Tzar 
spends  hours  in  gardening  ;  his  skill  excites  the 
admiration  of  the  watching  soldiers.  The  flower 
beds  which  he  planned  and  dug  out  himself  are  now 
a  blaze  of  bright-hued  flowers,  which  he  tends 
with  the  greatest  care.  The  Grand  Duchess  Tatiana 
occasionally  shares  her  father's  labours. 

When  Nicholas  II  resolved  to  give  in  to  what  he 
believed  the  general  wish  of  the  people  and  abdicate, 
he  never  thought  of  leaving  the  country.  His 
intention  was  to  retire  to  the  Crimea  and  lead  a 
retired  life  in  Livadia,  but  the  Social  Democrats 
and  the  Social  Revolutionists,  in  their  strenuous 
endeavour  to  copy  the  French  Revolution,  do  not 

•  6 /19th  of  May. 


THE    EX-EMPEROR    AND   THREE   OF    HIS    DA.  v.i. 


\OK-SKIO    I'NUKR    GUARD    AFTKR    THK    REVOLUTION 


THE  TZAR'S  TROUBLES  269 

wish  any  of  the  reigning  branch  of  the  Romanoff 
family  to  remain  in  Russia.*  To  leave  the  country 
will  be  a  painful  wrench  to  the  quondam  Sovereign, 
but  he  is  certain  to  bear  the  ordeal  with  the  same 
dignified  patience  he  manifests  in  his  captivity, 
and  will  certainly  lead  a  contented  existence,  glad 
to  be  relieved  of  the  heavy  burden  of  responsibility 
of  ruling  over  such  a  vast  Empire  with  so  many 
millions  of  heterogeneous  people. 

During  one  of  M.  Kerensky's  interviews  with  the 
ex-Tzar,  His  Majesty  told  him  that  since  his  boyhood 
he  had  always  felt  a  passionate  love  for  his  country. 
"  I  was  told  it  was  my  duty  to  the  country  to  become 
its  Tzar — I  obeyed,  although  all  my  inclinations 
tended  to  a  private  life.  Twas  told  I  must  marry 
for  the  good  of  the  country— I  married.  Again 
I  was  told  that  to  save  the  country  I  must  abdicate — 
I  did  so  without  demur.  This  morning  I  have  been 
to  Holy  Communion,  and  am  quite  ready  to  lay 
down  my  life  should  my  country  require  it." 

The  fascinating  charm  of  the  ex-Tzar's  person- 
ality has  completely  captivated  one, of  his  greatest 
political  adversaries.  M.  Kerensky  finds  the  former 
monarch  a  well-informed,  interesting  conversation- 
alist, with  a  developed,  well-balanced  mind  and  one 
of  the  noblest  natures  he  ever  met. 

Such  is  M.  Kerensky's  opinion  of  the  monarch 
he  helped  to  dethrone.  Could  any  ruler  wish  a 
greater  tribute  ? 

The  state  of  health  of  the  former  Empress  Alexan- 
dra is  very  precarious.     She  is  wheeled  about  the 

*  This  was  written  before  there  was  any  idea  of  sending  the  ex-Tiar 
to  Siberia. 


270      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

park  of  Tzarskoe  Selo  in  a  bath-chair  and  is  said  to 
have  aged  greatly.  When  she  is  wheeled  about  the 
park  she  mostly  keeps  her  head  bent,  looking 
neither  to  the  right  nor  to  the  left.  The  sailor, 
Derevenko,  who  for  years  has  been  attached  to  the 
service  of  the  Tzessarevitch,  wheels  her  about, 
whilst  one  of  her  daughters  walks  beside  her,  generally 
preserving  a  rigid  silence.  The  lawn-tennis  court, 
which  used  to  be  the  favourite  resort  of  the  Imperial 
family,  stands  empty  and  even  the  nets  have  not 
been*  set  up. 

The  sailor  Derevenko  is  one  of  the  Tzar's  most 
faithful  retainers.  His  old  comrades  and  other 
sailors  wanted  him  to  leave  the  Palace,  but  he 
scornfully  refused  all  proposals  and  has  remained 
true  to  his  allegiance. 

The  Mistress  of  the  Robes,  Madame  Narischkine, 
has  recently  left  the  Palace.  She  sent  a  petition 
to  the  Procurator-General,  pleading  the  state  of 
her  health,  and  requesting  to  be  relieved  of  her 
duties.  The  only  lady  who  now  attends  the  ex- 
Empress  at  the  present  instant  is  the  maid  of  honour. 
Countess  Hendrikoff,  assisted  by  Madame  Schneider, 
who  taught  the  Russian  language  to  the  Empress  and 
remained  at  court  in  the  capacity  of  reader.  The 
ex-Empress  places  great  confidence  in  the  lady, 
and  Madame  Schneider  frequently  attends  the  young 
Grand  Duchesses. 

The  Dowager  Empress  Marie  is  staying  in  the 
Crimea  in  her  son-in-law's,  the  Grand  Duke  Alexander 
Michaelovitch's,  place  near  Yalta.  The  rumour  of  a 
conspiracy  amongst  the  members  of  the  Imperial 
familv  caused  a  search  being  made  in  all  the  palaces 


THE  TZAR'S  TROUBLES  271 

in  the  vicinity  of  Yalta.  The  Empress  Marie  was  in 
bed  and  did  not  hear  the  knock  at  her  door.  It  was 
suddenly  opened  by  a  ruthless  hand,  and  an  officer 
stood  before  her  startled  eyes.  He  offered  her  the 
option  :  to  get  up  in  the  presence  of  a  woman  who 
accompanied  them,  or  to  remain  in  bed  with  her 
hands  over  the  bed-clothes.  The  Empress  chose  the 
latter.  All  her  correspondence  and  some  of  her 
books  were  taken  away  to  be  inspected.  Even  her 
pocket  bible,  with  some  inscriptions  in  her  own  and 
in  her  late  husband's  hand  and  her  favourite  verses 
underlined  was  taken. 

The  Empress  remained  perfectly  collected,  but 
Countess  Mengden* — her  maid  of  honour — wept 
bitterly  to  see  her  Imperial  Mistress  subjected  to  such 
treatm.ent.  The  Empress's  youngest  daughter,  Olga, 
and  her  husband  are  also  with  her.  A  few  months 
prior  to  the  Revolution,  the  Grand  Duchess  Olga 
divorced  her  first  husband.  Prince  Peter  of  Oldenburg, 
and  married  his  aide-de-camp.  Captain  Kulikovsky, 
an  officer  of  the  Blue  Cuirassiers  of  Gatchino.  He 
was  obliged  to  leave  the  service  in  consequence  of  the 
Revolution  because  of  his  marriage  to  the  Tzar's  sister. 

The  marriage  took  place  privately  in  Kiev,  in  the 
Dowager  Empress's  presence.  The  Emperor  sent 
a  telegram  to  wish  his  sister  happiness  A  few  days 
prior  to  the  wedding  ceremony,  a  sister  of  mercy 
came  to  the  clergyman  and  expressed  her  desire  to 
be  married  by  him  to  an  officer.  The  priest  enquired 
if  all  the  documents  were  in  order. 

•  Her  brother,  General  Count  George  Mengden,  the  former  Commander 
of  Her  Majesty's  regiment,  the  Horse  Guards,  was  killed  in  the  days  of 
the  Revolution,  though  the  fact  was  not  mentioned  in  any  of  the  papers. 
He  died  a  noble  death — ^not  wishing  to  surrender  to  the  insurgent  soldiers. 

3 


272      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

"  The  bridegroom's  papers  are  there,"  the  sister 
rephed,  "  but  I  have  no  documents." 

The  priest  then  told  her  he  could  not  marry  her. 

"  But  if  my  brother  sends  you  a  telegram  ?  " 
queried  the  sister  of  mercy. 

'*  What  has  your  brother  to  do  in  the  matter  ?  " 
laughed  the  clergyman. 

**  Even  if  my  brother  happens  to  be  the  Tzar  ?  " 
enquired  the  Grand  Duchess. 

"  That  changes  everjrthing,"  replied  the  abashed 
priest,  and  the  wedding  ceremony  was  fixed.  Captain 
Kulikovsky  was  to  have  received  the  title  of  Count, 
had  not  the  Revolution  intervened. 

The  movements  of  the  Imperial  family  are  under 
continual  control.  If  they  want  to  go  to  Yalta  or 
prolong  their  drives  in  the  neighbourhood  they  must 
have  a  special  permission.  The  Grand'  Duke 
Alexander  Michaelovitch  is  a  lover  of  archaeology, 
but  he  was  requested  to  desist  from  his  researches. 
The  other  day  the  Empress  Marie  and  her  daughters 
visited  Livadia,  and  went  over  the  new  palace  of 
the  ex-Tzar,  built  from  the  designs  of  the  Empress 
Alexandra.  Marie  Feodorovna  had  never  seen  this 
new  residence  of  her  son  and  went  all  over  the  place, 
showing  much  curiosity  to  see  her  daughter-in-law's 
apartments  which  contain  numerous  sanctuaries, 
prayer-rooms  and  secret  passages. 

When  the  Grand  Duke  Nicholas's  palace  was 
searched,  he  personally  took  the  officers  all  over  the 
house  and  showed  them  everything.  The  Grand 
Duke  is  never  seen  outside  his  own  place.  He  is  busy 
the  whole  day,  writing  the  history  of  Nicholas  II's 
reign  with  all  the  preliminary  details  preceding  the 


THE   GRAND    DUCHESS  OLCA   ALEXAN  DROVN  A,    SISTER   OK   THE  TZAR 


THE  TZAR'S  TROUBLES  273 

war.  This  book,  when  it  is  published,  will  throw  a 
new  light  on  many  circumstances  and  events  that 
to  the  public  now  seem  dark.  His  stepdaughter, 
the  Duchess  Helen  of  Luchtenberg,  is  engaged  to  be 
married  to  Count  Tysczkievicz,  an  officer  of  the 
Horse  Guards,  of  Polish  descent.  The  latter  was 
obliged  to  obtain  a  special  permission  to  enter  the 
Grand  Duke's  palace  ;  it  was  granted  to  him  in  view 
of  his  approaching  marriage. 

The  financial  position  of  the  members  of  the 
Imperial  family  has  very  much  deteriorated  since 
the  Revolution,  for  they  have  ceased  to  receive  the 
yearly  income  allotted  to  them  by  the  Imperial 
appanages.  Many  of  the  Grand  Dukes  and  Grand 
Duchesses  are  in  great  difficulties  for  they  have  a 
great  expenditure  which  cannot  be  met  "  du  jour 
au  lendemain." 

The  Grand  Duchess  Victoria  Feodorovna  is  selling 
her  valuables  in  order  to  be  able  to  pay  the  pensions 
that  are  due  to  her  old  retainers.  The  Dowager 
Grand  Duchess  Elisabeth  Mavrikievna  is  very 
anxious  as  to  the  future.  She  had  a  large  family  to 
provide  for  and  the  cost  of  numerous  palaces  and 
summer  residences  to  defraj'' ;  most  of  them  will  have 
to  be  put  up  for  sale.  Her  eldest  daughter,  the 
widowed  Princess  Tatiana  Constantinovna  Bagration- 
Moukhransky,  was  allowed  by  her  late  father  the 
sum  of  12,000  roubles  a  year.  The  Tzar  found  this 
"income  too  small  for  a  princess  reared  in  the  luxury 
of  a  palace,  and  increased  it,  paying  her  50,000 
roubles  a  year  out  of  his  own  private  fortune.  All 
this  will  be  altered  henceforth,  and  will  mean  a  dire 
change  to  the  Imperial  Princesses. 


274      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

The  Grand  Duchess  Xenia  was  the  most  practical 
of  the  family.  She  made  out  a  list  of  the  pensions 
that  are  regularly  paid  out  of  the  sum  that  was 
yearly  allowed  to  her  from  the  appanages,  as  well 
as  of  the  charitable  institutions  she  sustains  with 
this  money,  not  a  farthing  of  which  is  spent  on 
herself  or  her  family.  The  manager  of  her  affairs 
went  to  Prince  Lwoff,  showed  him  this  list,  pointing 
out  to  the  Prime  Minister  that  all  these  people  and 
institutions  would  in  the  future  remain  destitute. 
Prince  Lwoff  saw  the  justice  of  the  matter,  and 
gave  his  word  of  honour  that  the  necessary  money 
to  satisfy  these  claims  would  be  paid  over  to  the 
Grand  Duchess. 

The  private  fortunes  of  the  ex-Tzar  and  his 
family  amount  to  the  following  sums : 

The  ex-Emperor  Nicholas  possesses 

a  capital  of  908,000  roubles. 

The  ex-Empress  Alexandra    1,006,400      „ 


The  Tzessarevitch 

1,425,700 

rOlga        

......    3,185,500 

The  Grand 

Tatiana   

2,118,500 

Duchesses 

Marie 

1.854,430 

^Anastasia 

1,612,500 

Apart  from  this  money,  the  Imperial  family  is 
supposed  to  have  great  sums  of  money  deposited  in 
foreign  banks,  especially  in  the  Bank  of  England. 

The  Revolutionists  have  endeavoured  to  inspire 
the  people  with  the  belief  that  the-  disturbances 
were  instigated  by  the  old  Government,  but  that  is 
untrue.  Everyone  knew  that  some  agitation  was 
at  work  in  the  numerous  factories  that  are  situated 


THE  TZAR'S  TROUBLES  275 

in  Petrograd  and  in  its  close  vicinity.  Strikes 
were  impending  ;  they  were  expected  to  commence 
on  January  14th,  o/s,  on  the  plea  of  the  reopening 
of  the  Duma  being  put  off,  for  such  was  the  general 
belief,  but  the  opening  took  place,  and  only  a  day 
or  two  later  than  had  been  fixed.  The  delay  was 
caused  by  the  new  Prime  Minister,  who  was  not 
ready  with  his  declaration.  The  disturbances 
began  a  month  later  because  of  the  long  queues 
before  bakers*  shops,  people  standing  for  hours  in 
a  biting  cold  wind,  with  the  thermometer  at  15® 
Reaumur  (last  winter  was  an  exceptionally  cold  one), 
before  each  person's  turn  came  to  get  the  coveted 
piece  of  bread.  The  workmen  complained  with 
reason  that,  after  having  worked  for  so  many  hours, 
they  could  not  be  expected  to  spend  their  time  in 
standing  before  a  shop.  If  they  were  family  men, 
they  were  reduced  to  return  to  an  unheated,  untidy 
home,  where  no  food  awaited  them,  because  their 
women-folk  were  among  the  queues. 

The  demonstrations  began  quite  peaceably,  the 
workmen  not  desiring  to  give  to  them  a  political 
colouring.  The  red  flag  was  strictly  tabooed.  It 
was  the  Duma  that  turned  the  disturbances  into  a 
revolution,  for  which  they  were  preparing  people's 
minds  for  some  time  past,  but  which  was  to  be 
carried  out  after  the  war  was  over. 

Two  reasons  made  them  accelerate  their  plans. 
The  first  was  that  the  present  opportunity  was  such 
a  favourable  one  ;  the  second  was  a  fear  that,  if 
the  war  ended  victoriously,  the  Tzar  would  attain 
the  zenith  of  his  popularity  and  would  become 
invulnerable  to  any  revolutionary  movement. 


276      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

The  ukase  dissolving  the  State  Duma  until  April 
appeared  on  February  26th,  turning  the  scales 
definitely  into  the  deep  waters  of  insubordination 
to  His  Majesty's  commands. 

The  ex-Tzar  has  been  accused  of  having  challenged 
the  Duma  by  this  unwise  decision,  but  only  a  very 
few  people  know  that  the  responsibility  of  this  act 
lies  entirely  with  Prince  Golitzine,  the  last  Prime 
Minister  of  the  old  Government.  Whenever  the 
Emperor  absented  himself  from  the  Capital,  a  ukase 
for  the  dissolution  of  the  Duma  was  always  delivered 
to  the  Premier,  duly  signed  but  undated.  This 
was  done  in  case  of  an  urgent  emergency,  when  it 
would  be  imperative  to  act  promptly.  Prince 
Golitzine,  who  never  aspired  to  be  an  eagle,  thought 
the  right  hour  had  struck  for  him  to  use  his  preroga- 
tive of  dissolving  the  Duma.  But  in  doing  this 
he  only  added  fuel  to  the  flame.  It  was  M.  Kerensky 
who  turned  the  balance  of  hesitation  still  manifest 
among  his  colleagues.  Once  the  die  was  cast  they 
staunchly  "upheld  the  side  of  the  people. 

Amongst  the  numerous  documents  of  the  Imperial 
Okhrane,  a  paper  was  found  dating  back  to  August, 
191 5,  in  which  the  Chief  of  the  Okhrane  informs  the 
Minister  of  the  Interior  "  that  the  workmen's  strikes 
and  the  agitation  reigning  in  their  midst  was  the 
.result  of  the  revolutionary  activity  of  the  Social 
Democrats  and  the  Labour  Party  of  the  State  Duma, 
and  especially  that  of  lawyer  Kerensky,  the  leader 
of  the  latter  faction.  The  revolutionary  doings  of 
Kerensky  were  expressed  in  the  watchword  :  StruggU 
for  power  and  an  organising  committee,  and  consisted  of 
discrediting  the  Government  in  the  eyes  of  the  masses. 


THE  TZAR'S  TROUBLES  277 

"To  achieve  this  enterprise,  Kerensky  recommends 
to  the  workmen  to  have  gatherings  in  the  streets 
and  in  factories,  found  workmen's  groups  for  the 
formation  of  councils  of  Workmen's  and  Soldiers' 
Deputies,  similar  to  those  tliat  existed  in  the  year 
1905,  which  when  the  moment  arrived  direct  the 
movement  into  a  determined  course  with  the  goal 
of  an  Organising  Committee  in  view  that  would  take 
the  defence  of  the  country  into  its  own  hands. 
To  insure  the  success  of  this  agitation,  Kerensky 
spreads  the  rumour  amongst  the  workmen  that  he 
receives  masses  of  letters  from  the  provinces  in- 
sisting on  the  overthrow  of  the  Romanoff  Dynasty, 
and  urging  him  to  take  the  .power  into  his  own 
hands." 

The  member  of  the  Duma,  M.  Bublikoff,  took 
upon  himself  the  mission  of  preventing  the  Tzar's' 
return  to  the  capital.  Arrived  at  the  junction 
Dno,  where  the  Imperial  train  was  stationed,  he 
did  not  dare  to  stop  it  outright,  but  managed  to  have 
the  train  go  backwards  and  forwards,  without 
letting  it  progress.  When  the  Tzar  was  informed 
of  these  mancruvres,  he  gave  the  order  for  the  train 
to  return  to  Pskov,  and  requested  M.  Rodzianko 
on  the  telephone  to  come  over  to  Pskov  and  talk 
things  over.  Unfortunately  M.  Rodzianko  did  not 
do  so,  or  things  might  have  turned  out  quite  differ- 
ently. 

If  the  shortage  of  food  was  only  simulated  by  the 
former  Government  to  call  forth  riots,  why  is  the 
Provisional  Government  not  able  to  do  anything 
to  ameliorate  the  conditions  in  the  four  months 
that  have  elapsed. since  the  old  regime  was  over- 


278      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

hauled  ?  Why  has  the  food  question  become  much 
more  compUcated  since  those  days  ?  WTiy  have  the 
difficulties  to  get  any  food  increased  tenfold  ? 
For  instance,  before  the  Revolution  it  was  possible 
to  get  flour,  whereas  at  present  it  is  utterly  impossible. 
Even  co-operative  shops  have  been  forbidden  to 
sell  flour,  as  it  is  to  be  kept  for  the  army,  and 
wheaten  flour  will  not  be  produced  until  the  end  of 
the  war.  As  to  the  queues  before  shops,  they 
have  likewise  increased  in  length  and  in  number, 
for  at  the  present  moment  one  must  stand  in  the 
queue  for  eggs,  milk  and  butter.  As  for  meat, 
oiw  can  stand  for  hours  and  not  get  anything. 

M.  Kerensky  was  the  soul  of  the  Revolution,  and 
continues  to  be  the  only  man  who  has  any  influence 
and  can  move  the  masses. 

Like  the  hero  of  Mozart's  opera,  he.  seems  to  be 
ubiquitous  :  "  Figaro  ci,  Figaro  la  "  could  be  easily 
translated  into  "  Kerensky  ci  Kerensky  la."  The 
countless  meetings  that  man  has  harangued  is 
amazing.  Somebody  calculated  the  other  day  that 
if  he  got  a  copek  for  every  word  he  pronounces 
on  such  occasions,  he  would  be  a  multi-millionaire. 
His  popularity  with  the  soldiers  is  at  its  height, 
and  he  certainly  has  the  gift  of  making  a  striking 
impression.  His  outward  appearance  is  somewhat 
like  that  of  an  actor,  and,  when  he  prepares  for  some 
special  occasion  and  wishes  to  particularly  impress 
his  auditors,  he  gives  little  touches  to  his  face  and 
e3''es  to  enhance  the  eloquence  of  their  expression. 

The  workmen  are  not  so  fascinated  by  M.  Kerensky, 
and  the  anarchists  detest  him  ;  for  although  he  is  a 
socialist,  he  is  the  friend  of  order,  and  would  like  to 


THE  TZAR'S  TROUBLES  279 

establish  it  all  over  the  country.  His  detractors  say 
that  he  is  extremely  ambitious,  and  has  become 
intoxicated  with  the  power  he  always  coveted, 
is  greatly  impressed  at  the  prominent  part  he  is 
taking  and  hopes  it  will  soon  be  even  more 
pronounced.  But  however  sceptical  people  are  in 
regard  to  the  "  man  of  the  hour,"  they  must  own 
that  he  has  succeeded  in  conquering  the  soldiers 
at  the  front.  Under  the  magic  of  his  personal 
fascination,  the  brilliant  attack  on  the  Austrian 
front  was  made  with  such  remarkable  success. 

The  Russian  victory  is  entirely  attributed  to 
M.  Kerensky's  power  over  the  soldiers  and  to  his 
fiery  speeches,  which  were  plainly  and  convincingly 
expressed  and  suited  to  the  simple  minds  of  his 
auditors.  M.  Kerensky  has  never  served  in  the 
army,  but  he  has  the  soul  of  a  warrior,  and  his 
bravery  appeals  to  the  heart  of  the  true  soldier. 
The  Minister  wanted  to  join  in  the  fight,  but  the 
soldiers  prevented  him  ;  nevertheless  he  remained 
all  the  time  in  the  first  line  of  the  trenches. 

Without  wishing  to  diminish  the  merit  of  M. 
Kerensky,  my  love  of  truth  impels  me  to  add  the 
following  detail,  which  has  not  appeared  in  any 
reports  about  the  famous  battle.  After  repeated 
instances  of  flagrant  disobedience  of  the  soldiers, 
who  refused  to  advance  to  the  attack,  the  "  Alliance 
of  Officers  "  resolved  to  form  regiments  consisting 
exclusively  of  officers,  who  would  take  upon  them- 
selves the  duties  of  soldiers.  The  vanguard  of  the 
army  that  went  into  attack  were  such  "Officers' 
Regiments."  The  ordinary  regiments  followed.  It 
is  principally  owing  to  the  pluck  of  these  brave 


a8o      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

officers  that  the  attack  succeeded  so  brilliantly,  and 
the  battle  was  gained.  Not  one  newspaper  has 
mentioned  this,  but  it  is  an  uncontroverted  fact. 

M.  Kerensky  is  very  unconventional,  and  the  effect 
he  would  produce  in  a  London  drawing-room  would 
be  somewhat  startling.  His  favourite  garment  is  a 
leather  jacket  in  which  he  appears  even  at  solemn 
functions,  as  for  instance  when  the  senators  came  to 
take  their  oath  of  fealty  to  the  Provisional  Govern- 
ment. At  the  time  M.  Kerensky  was  Minister  of 
Justice.  He  is  not  averse  to  theatrical  effects.  He 
once  attended  a  concert  at  the  Opera  House.  He 
was  carried  into  a  box  on  the  first  tier  in  the  arms 
of  soldiers,  a  sailor  hanging  on  with  his  arm  round 
M.  Kerensky's  neck.  Deposited  in  the  box,  where 
his  wife  was  seated,  he  climbed  over  the  rail  on  to  the 
stage  and  commenced  haranguing  the  house.  But 
these  lapses  into  eccentricity  can  easily  be  forgiven 
if  he  prevails  upon  the  army  to  do  its  duty. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  M.  Kerensky's  health 
is  not  good,  and  it  is  to  be  feared  the  continual  strain 
upon  his  nerves  may  still  further  weaken  it.  All 
kinds  of  rumours  are  being  spread  :  one  of  them  is 
that  he  is  liable  to  epileptic  fits,  another  that  he 
suffers  with  his  heart.  Others  again  say  he  is  con- 
sumptive, but  all  agree  that  something  very  serious 
is  amiss  with  his  state  of  health. 

It  would  be  a  mistake  to  think  that  everyone  in 
Russia  was  elated  at  the  news  of  the  first  victory 
after  so  many  months  of  inaction.  The  anarchists 
and  the  Lenintzys  were  extremely  displeased  that 
the  soldiers  attempted  the  attack,  and  openly  showed 
their  disgust.    This  is  a  false  move  on  their  part,  as 


THE  TZAR'S  TROUBLES  281 

it  shows  them  up  to  the  people  in  their  true  light ! 
Their  hostile  demonstrations  created  intense  indigna- 
tion amongst  the  people,  for  the  general  public  was 
overjoyed  at  the  news  of  the  success  achieved  by 
our  army. 

The  following  instance  is  a  convincing  proof  of  the 
mistrust  with  which  the  regiments  at  the  front 
regard  the  soldiers  of  their  reserve  battalions,  or 
squadrons  at  Petrograd  who  were  mixed  up  in  the 
recent  disturbance.  Two  of  the  Infantry  Guards 
regiments  (the  Moscow  and  the  Finland  regiments), 
who  had  never  refused  to  go  into  battle,  declined 
to  have  their  ranks  completed  with  soldiers  from 
their  reserve  battalions.  They  had  heard  these 
men  were  voting  and  demonstrating  against  the  war, 
and  formally  refused  to  have  any  further  connection 
with  them. 

Soldiers  arriving  from  Petrograd  are  regarded  as  a 
scourge  by  the  army  leaders  and  superior  officers 
at  the  front,  for  they  bring  with  them  the  infection 
of  the  moral  gangrene  that  has  spread  all  over  the 
garrison  of  Petrograd.  People  have  often  wondered 
how  it  is  that  the  soldiers  in  the  Capital  are  now  in 
possession  of  such  large  sums  of  money  !  Gambling 
goes  on  in  their  midst  at  a  wild  rate.  Soldiers  win 
hundreds  and  thousands  of  roubles.  Where  does 
this  money  come  from  ?  That  is  the  important 
question. 


CHAPTER    XIV 

.    THE   TRAIL   OF   REVOLUTION 

THIS  narrative  cannot  be  terminated  without 
a  sympathetic  mention  of  Lord  Lansdowne's 
perfect  way  of  greeting  the  new  Russian 
Government.  Dealing  justly,  as  every  true  English- 
man always  does,  Lord  Lansdowne  in  the  House  of 
Lords  referred  in  words  of  respect  and  sympathy  to 
the  ex-Tzar,  Nicholas  II,  "  who  for  nearly  three 
years  has  been  our  faithful  and  noble  Ally."  It  is 
characteristic  of  the  present  intolerance  of  anything 
that  is  not  democratic  that  this  speech  was  not 
reproduced  in  anj''  of  the  Russian  papers,  although 
every  cultured  and  true-hearted  Russian  read  it  with 
gratification,  appreciating  the  tribute  given  by  the 
eminent  English  statesman  to  the  former  Sovereign. 

Nicholas  II  committed  many  errors,  but  the 
nobility  of  his  character  is  beyond  all  doubt.  The 
distinguished  English  peer's  speech  was  read  with 
great  interest  in  Petrograd,  and  proved  only  too 
truly  the  power  of  his  subtle  foresight.    . 

Russia,  in  her  new  guise,  regardless  of  the  fervent 
hopes  with  which  she  inspired  everyone  at  the 
outset,  gave  a  bad  quarter  of  an  hour  to  the  Allied 
Powers,  obstructing  all  efforts  to  come  to  a  rational 
understanding.     It    was   as    if   the    Russians   had 

282 


THE  TRAIL  OF  REVOLUTION         283 

suddenly  turned  their  back  on  common  sense. 
The  first  glimpse  the  Western  countries  had  of 
Russian  people  in  their  gruff  uncouthness,  without 
the  softening  medium  of  an  Imperial  Court  and  of 
a  cultured  Government,  was  not  encouraging,  but 
let  me  convince  the  English  reader  that  the  majority 
of  my  countrymen  were  in  despair  at  the  turn  things 
were  taking  ;  but  they  were  helpless  to  stem  the 
current  of  general  disorder. 

Everything  was,  and  to  a  certain  extent  continues 
to  be,  in  the  power  of  the  Soldiers'  and  Workmen's 
Deputies.  They  brought  forward  the  obstacles  and 
impediments  which  were  prompted  from  Germany, 
through  the  numerous  German  agents  that  are  swarm- 
ing in  Petrograd  at  the  present  moment.  These 
men  have  gained  a  solid  footing  in  the  Council  of 
Soldiers'  and  Workmen's  Deputies.  The  Ministers 
are  mere  puppets  in  their  hands,  as  the  Coimcil 
really  controls  the  situation. 

Over  four  months  have  passed,  and  people  are 
beginning  to  sum  up  the  pros  and  cons  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, and  are  inclined  to  find  that  far  from  being 
beneficent,  the  change  has  up  to  this  only  wrought 
harm.  The  last  months  of  the  ex-Tzar's  reign  were 
the  most  unfortunate.  A  wave  of  discontent  en- 
veloped the  country.  The  folly  of  the  infatuation 
with  Rasputine's  saintliness,  and  the  extraordinary 
nominations  carried  through  by  means  of  the 
Empress  Alexandra's  influence,  all  the  vagaries 
that  went  on  at  Court,  had  the.  effect  of  continual 
challenges  to  the  nation. 

People,  even  the  most  favourably  inclined,  were 
disgusted  at  all  that  was  going  on,  and  although  the 


284      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

majority  would  not  have  tampered  with  the  revolu- 
tionary movement,  they  willingly  accepted  the 
overthrow  and  sincerely  welcomed  the  new  state  of 
things,  trusting  it  would  lead  to  victory,  progress 
and  success. 

All  that  has  happened  since,  however,  has  damped 
the  enthusiasm,  and  the  adherents  of  Mdnarchism 
are  daily  increasing  in  number. 

The  idea  of  the  Revolution  had  been  for  a  long 
time  hatched  by  the  Social  Democrats,  and  by  the 
Labour  Party,  with  the  help  of  the  Constitutional 
Democratic  party,  the.  Cadets,  but  the  latter  were 
unable  to  realise  their  plans  and  became  the  cat's 
paw  of  the  socialists.  As  a  matter  of  fact  the 
Cadet  party  includes  *  many  distinguished  theorists 
and  intellectual  men  of  science,  but  not  a  single 
clever  one.  Their  leader,  M.  Miliukoff,  has  his 
limitations,  although  he  is  a  very  learned  jnan.  His 
chief  defect  is  his  tactlessness,  which  frequently 
leads  him  astray.  He  is  what  the  French  call  a 
"gaffeur,"  and  his  last  "gaffe,"  a  speech  made  in 
the  Academy  of  Music  in  favour  of  German  music 
generally  and  Wagner's  compositions  in  particular, 
produced  an  uproarious  outburst  of  indignation 
against  him. 

The  Cadets  had  all  the  trumps  in  the  g^me,  but 
they  played  their  hand  so  unskilfully  that  they 
failed  to  win.  The  Cadets  are  too  theoretical, 
too  much  in  the  clouds,  and  they  had  not  one  gifted 
man  amongst  them  who  could  have  stepped  forth 
energetically  to  take  up  the  reins  of  Government. 
A  hand  of  steel  in  a  velvet  gauntlet  was  needed 
at  that  critical  moment,  instead  of  the  many  hands 


THE  TRAIL  OF  REVOLUTION  285 

that  pulled  in  all  directions,  without  the  iron  grip 
that  was  required. 

The  first  break  in  the  Provisional  Government 
which  resulted  in  the  appointment  of  several  in- 
fluential members  of  the  Social  Democratic  Party 
as  Ministers,  proved  the  utter  instability  of  the 
new  state  of  things  in  Russia. 

One  responsible  Minister  under  the  Republic  has 
a  very  stormy  record  ;  he  was  mixed  up  in  the 
Fonamy  Street  affair  in  1905.  A  gang  of  anarchists 
discovered  that  on  a  certain  day  a  large  sum  of 
money  would  be  conveyed  to  the  State  Bank  from 
the  Custom  House.  The  money  was  to  be  trans- 
ported in  a  closed  carriage,  with  several  men  on 
guard.  The  conspirators  had  ascertained  by  what 
streets  the  carriage  containing  the  money  would  be 
driven,  and  they  lay  in  wait  in  a  small  tavern. 
When  the  approach  of  the  carriage  was  signalled, 
they  came  out  of  the  tavern  and  threw  a  bomb  under 
the  horses'  feet.  An  explosion  was  heard,  which 
shook  the  whole  street,  broke  the  windows  of  the 
nearest  houses  and  completely  destroyed  a  shoe- 
maker's shop  at  the  corner  of  the  street.  In  the 
general  panic  which  ensued,  the  anarchists  got  away 
with  a  great  part  of  the  money. 

The  present  state  of  affairs  is  impossible  to  .con- 
ceive. There  is  no  authority,  no  courts  of  jtistice, 
no  one  to  appeal  to.  Everything  is  submitted  to 
peasant  meetings,  and  dealt  with  and  judged  by 
them  amidst  a  cloud  of  words.  Such  is  the  new 
state  of. things.  How  can  the  Government  expect  the 
nation  to  have  trust  in  such  Ministers  ?  The 
Russian  people  are  accustomed  to  look  up  to  the 


286      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

Government,  but  some  of  the  members  of  the  newly 
formed  Cabinet  compel  them  to  look  down  upon  the 
Provisional  Government. 

Numerous  revolting  acts  committed  in  the  days 
of  Revolution,  though  carefully  concealed  from  the 
public,  have  become  known.  The  soldiers  of  some 
of  the  reserve  battalions,  like  the  sailors  in  Cronstadt, 
manifested  the  utmost  savagery  and  cruelty. 
Soldiers  came  to  the  barracks  of  the  Horse  Guards 
and  committed  repulsive  excesses.  It  was  at  that 
time  that  General  Count  Mengden  was  killed. 
Colonel  Tchertkoff  escaped  death  by  the  skin  of  his 
teeth,  because  the  soldiers  of  his  company  stepped 
forward  to  defend  their  Colonel  from  the  murderous 
attempt  of  the  other  soldiers.  Count  Kleinmichel, 
a  young  subaltern,  was  still  in  bed  when  the 
murderous  band  broke  into  his  room.  He  was 
mercilessly  cut  to  pieces.  Another  subaltern, 
Prince  P —  was  walking  down  the  Nevsky  Prospect 
with  the  girl  he  was  engaged  to.  A  soldier  accosted 
him  :  "  Give  up  your  sword  1 "  "  Why  should  I  ? 
I  am  not  a  prisoner  !  "  was  the  reply.  Hardly  were 
the  words  out  of  his  mouth,  when  a  bullet  from  the 
soldier's  revolver  put  an  end  to  his  young  existence, 
and  he  fell  at  the  feet  of  the  girl  he  loved. 

Bands  of  bloodthirsty  soldiers  forced  their  en- 
trance into  apartments  inhabited  by  generals  and 
other  officers  and  shot  them  in  the  presence  of  their 
wives  and  children.  Weeks  after  the  acute  period 
of  the  Revolution  was  over,  the  dead  bodies  of 
generals,  officers  and  policemen  that  had  been 
thrown  into  the  river,  were  washed  up.  The 
persecution  of  the  policemen  was  terrible.    Some 


THE  TRAIL-  OF  REVOLUTION  287 

of  them  were  cruelly  mutilated.  One  *'  gorodovoi  " 
(constable)  was  sitting  with  his  young  wife,  who  was 
in  the  last  stage  of  expectation  before  child-birth  ;  a 
throng  of  soldiers  invaded  the  room  they  were  living 
in.  The  unhappy  woman  threw  herself  at  their 
feet  and  implored  mercy  for  her  husband.  The 
Soldiers  happened  to  be  kindhearted,  they  felt  pity 
for  the  young  wife  and  the  unborn  babe  and  left  the 
room  without  even  arresting  the  husband.  However 
this  proved  only  a  respite,  for  after  some  time  another 
horde  followed,  who  were  less  charitably  disposed,  and 
they  did  not  scruple  to  kill  the  miserable  gorodovoi 
before  the  eyes  of  his  distracted  wife. 

There  was  such  a  panic  amongst  the  gorodovois 
(policemen)  that  the  majority  of  them  bolted. 
They  hid  in  the  most  unlikely  places,  and  were 
dragged  out  of  barrels,  chimneys  and  hay -lofts. 
The  wiser  ones  gave  themselves  up  and  were  tem- 
porarily arrested.  Those  at  least  escaped  with  thei 
lives.  Sixty  disabled  young  soldiers  had  just  arrived 
from  the  front  having  been  appointed  as  policemen, 
but  they  had  not  yet  commenced  their  duties.  They 
were  living  in  the  barracks  of  the  Agraxine  police- 
station,  and  every  one  of  them  was  butchered. 

Such  scenes  and  even  worse  were  numerous, 
though  they  were  shrouded  in  the  mystery  of 
silence,  for  no  one  dare  mention  these  facts.  It  was 
with  difficulty  that  the  bereaved  families  obtained 
the  permission  to  get  back  the  bodies  of  their 
murdered  relatives  and  give  them  decent  burials. 
Whilst  these  revolting  acts  of  wanton  cruelty  were 
going  on,  the  newspapers  published  yard-long 
articles   of    commiseration   on   the   tragic   fate    of 


288  .   THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

Alexander  II's  murderers,  calling  the  assassination 
of  one  of  the  noblest  and  most  humane  of  monarchs, 
"  the  execution  of  Alexander  IL"  Such  things 
have  had  quite  the  opposite  effect  from  what 
was  intended,  and  have  done  much  towards  reverting 
and  turning  people's  thoughts  back  to  Monarchy. 

Many  curious  scenes  happened  in  those  days, 
which  eloquently  revealed  the  people's  real  feelings. 
Hoping  to  interest  the  English  reader,  I  shall  repro- 
duce some  of  the  m.ost  characteristic  stories  which 
I  know  to  be  true. 

In  Russia  Easter  is  considered  one  of  the  greatest 
festivals.  Presents  are  exchanged  on  that  day, 
ladies  receive  abundant  flower-offerings  from  their 
friends,  'children  gets  heaps  of  playthings  and 
servants  are  invariably  tipped  by  their  employers. 
On  the  Easter  Sunday  following  the  Revolution 
one  of  the  new  Ministers  descended  the  marble 
staircase  leading  from  his  private  apartment,  and 
was  deferentially  greeted  by  the  elderly  "  Schweit- 
zer "  (porter)  of  imposing  presence,  arrayed  in  his 
festive  livery.  The  Minister  approached  him  with 
outstretched  hand  and  warmly  returned  his  respect- 
ful Easter  wishes.  After  helping  the  Minister  into 
his  fur  coat  and  into  the  waiting  motor-car,  the 
old  "  Schweitzer "  returned  to  the  hall,  looking 
ruefully  at  the  palm  of  his  hand.  For  the  benefit 
of  the  other  ministerial  retainers  assembled  in  the 
hall  he  regretfully  remarked  :  **  Well,  I  prefer  a 
Minister  who  does  not  shake  hands,  but  gives  me 
ten  roubles  "  (a  guinea). 

A  member  of  the  Duma  was  commissioned  to 
visit  one  of  the  girls'  colleges  (institutes)  under  the 


THE  TRAIL  OF  REVOLUTION         289 

personal  supervision  of  the  Dowager  Empress  Marie. 
He  came  intent  on  explaining  the  new  order  of  things 
to  the  directress  and  class-dames.  Perceiving  a 
life-size  portrait  in  oils  representing  the  Empress 
Marie,  he  exclaimed  :  "  This  must  be  removed." 
At  these  rash  words  a  murmur  of  indignation  was 
heard  from  the  girls,  and,  forgetting  discipline, 
they  rushed  up  to  the  portrait  with  outstretched 
hands,  forming  a  bodyguard  in  defence  of  the 
picture  :  "  Only  over  our  bodies,"  cried  the  irat-e 
girls.  The  directress. and  the  school-dames  looked 
on  in  sympathetic  silence,  whilst  the  dismayed 
member  of  the  Duma  stood  helplessly  staring  at 
the  crowd  of  pig-tailed  adversaries  in  white  pinafores 
and  capes,  valiantly  arranged  in  front  of  their 
beloved  Empress  Marie's  portrait,  glaring  at  the 
intruder.  Reflecting  that  after  all  "  discretion  is 
the  bfetter  part  of  valour,"  he  shrugged  his  shoulders 
and  beat  a  retreat,  muttering  :  "  What  is  to  be  done 
with  such  foolish  girls  ?  " 

Unfortunately,  this  loyal  demonstration  will  not 
alter  the  fate  of  the  institute.  The  girls  have  been 
all  dispersed,  and  will  not  return  next  year.  Even 
the  scholars  of  the  last  two  classes  are  not  admitted 
to  pass  their  final  examinations. 

A  long  queue  was  standing  at  one  of  the  bread 
shops,  some  of  the  women  taking  up  part  of  the 
pavement.  A  soldier  passed  the  facetious  remark  : 
"  Do  take  up  your  tails,  ladies,  there  is  no  room  for 
anyone  to  pass."  An  angry  woman  turned  round  : 
"  Perhaps  there  is  not  enough  room  here,"  she  said, 
"  but  there  is  plenty  at  the  front." 

At  another  shop,  where  a  long  tail  of  purchasers 


290      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

were  impatiently  waiting  for  their  turn,  a  woman 
noticed  a  soldier,  who  was  one  of  the  waiting 
customers.  "  Why  do  you  come  here  ?  You  get 
plenty  of  everything  at  the  barracks."  "  Better 
not  grumble,"  replied  the  soldier,  "if  it  had  not 
been  for  us  soMiers,  you  would  perhaps  be  without 
bread  at  all."  "  Nothing  to  boast  of,"  was  the 
woman's  retort ;  "  you  would  have  done  much 
better  to  lie  on  the  oven."* 

A  small  boy  sent  by  his  mother  to  take  his  turn 
in  the  inevitable  queue  waiting  for  bread,  endeav- 
oured to  use  his  diminutive  size  and  slip  unperceived 
to  the  front  of  the  row.  His  manoeuvre,  however, 
was  noticed  by  a  bearded  majik  (peasant).  "  Back, 
youngster,  where  are  you  stretching  to  ?  Your 
place  is  behind."  "  I  am  not  a  youngster,"  retorted 
the  boy,  beating  his  chest  with  a  small  clenched  fist, 
"  I  am  a  free  Russian  citizen,"  to  the  evident 
delight  of  the  bystanders. 

A  country  yokel  was  caught  by  the  guard  under 
the  bench  of  a  third-class  railway  carriage,  intent 
on  taking  his  journey  without  paying  for  his  ticket. 
The  indignant  guard  dragged  him  out  of  his  retreat 
and  obliged  him  to  descend  at  the  next  stopping 
place.  Full  of  rancour  at  this  enforced  exit,  the 
youth  continued  his  journey  on  foot  along  the  rails, 
brooding  revenge.  He  was  caught  in  the  act  of 
pulling  out  the  sleepers  which  support  the  rails. 
The  express  train  was  expected,  and  the  impending 
catastrophe   was  prevented   by  a   hair's   breadth. 

•  The  wannest  and  most  comfortable  place  in  a  Russian  "  isba  "  (cot- 
tage) is  considered  the  large  oven,  built  with  tiles.  It  is  the  favourite 
refuge  of  the  tired  members  of  the  family  in  want  of  rest. 


THE  TRAIL  OF  REVOLUTION         291 

On  being  questioned  as  to  his  motives,  the  country 
bumpkin  answered  sullenly  that  he  wished  to  be 
revenged  on  the  guard  who  had  turned  him  out 
of  the  train.  "But  the  accident  would  not  have 
concerned  him  ;  this  is  another  train  with  different 
guards."  "  Leave  me  in  peace  1  What  are  you 
badgering  me  for  ?  Liberty  reigns  now,  and  every- 
one can  do  as  he  likes,"  was  the  unexpected  answer 
of  the  fellow  who  had  nearly  caused  the  death  and 
suffering  of  many  travellers.  His  way  of  appre- 
ciating "liberty"  is,  alas  1  not  an  uncommon  one. 
Many  uncouth  minds  share  his  opinion. 

A  gentleman  is  in  the  habit  of  taking  his  dinner 
daily  at  one  of  the  best  and  oldest  restaurants  in 
Petrograd,  where  the  same  waiter  always  attends 
him.  The  habitue  entered  the  restaurant  a  day  or 
two  after  the  great  change.  On  seeing  the  waiter, 
the  gentleman  gave  him  a  cheerful  nod. 

"  How  do  you  do,  Simon  ?  "  he  remarked. 

To  his  astonishment  the  up-to-then  obsequious 
waiter  drew  himself  up  to  his  full  height  and  with 
nose  well  in  the  air,  replied  :  "I  am  no  more  Simon, 
I  am  Simon  Ivanovitch  now." 

"  Oh,  very  well,"  said  the  gentleman,  as  he  seated 
himself  at  the  table  and  prepared  to  eat  his  meal. 
On  leaving  the  restaurant  he  politely  went  up  to  the 
waiter  and  shaking  hands  with  him  (without  giving 
the  usual  tip),  said,  "  Good  evening,  Simon  Ivano- 
vitch." The  next  day  and  the  day  following  the  scene 
repeated  itself  ;  the  gentleman  on  entering  and  on 
leaving  the  restaurant  shook  hands  with  the  waiter, 
adding  invariably  :  "  How  do  you  do,  Simon  Ivano- 
vitch," or  "  Good-bye,  Simon  Ivanovitch."    On  the 


292      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

fourth  day  the  gentleman  was  met  by  a  deprecating 
waiter  with  the  appeal :  "I  am  tired  of  being  Simon 
Ivanovitch,  I  want  to  be  Simon  again." 

A  lady's  maid  came  to  her  mistress  who  happened 
to  be  the  wife  of  a  Senator  and  a  Princess  by  birth. 

"  We  are  equals  now,  Madam;"  quoth  the  maid 
with  an  impertinent  toss  of  the  head. 

"  I  congratulate  you,"  was  the  quiet  reply  of  the 
lady,  taking  up  her  book  and  continuing  to  read. 

When  Easter  arrived  a  few  weeks  subsequently, 
the  lady,  who  had  a  large  establishment,  prepared 
the  Easter-gifts  for  the  servants.  She  divided  the 
allotted  money  in  equal  parts  and  putting  each  into 
an  envelope  wrote  on  it  the  name  of  the  recipient. 
A  few  hours  after  the  distribution  the  deeply  offended 
lady's  maid  entered  and,  in  a  tearful  voice,  re- 
proached her  mistress  for  putting  her  on  the  same 
level  as  the  laundress  and  kitchenmaid. 

"  I  could  not  act  differejitly,"  responded  the 
lady,  "  for  you  are  all  equals  now." 

"  There  will  always  be  a  difference — the  kitchen- 
maid  is  not  my  equal." 

"  Nor  are  you  mine,"  was  her  mistress's  reply, 
"  and  yet  not  so  very  long  ago  you  pointed  out  to  me 
yourself  that  henceforth  we  were  all  equals." 

"  I  see.  Madam,  that  you  evidently  don't  under- 
stand anything  about  the  differences  of  position," 
and  the  irate  damsel  flounced  out  of  the  room. 

During  the  first  days  of  the  Revolution,  when 
most  of  the  houses  and  flats  were  searched,  and  at 
the  same  time  pillaged,  many  strange  scenes  occurred. 
The  wife  of  a  member  of  the  Upper  Chamber, 
Princess  Kourakine,  was  alone  in  her  luxurious  flat 


•    THE  TRAIL  OF  REVOLUTION         293 

when  the  soldiers  came  to  search  for  hidden  fire- 
arms. The  entrance  door  to  the  apartment  leads  out 
of  a  lofty  hall,  the  top  part  of  the  door  having  glass 
panels.  The  soldiers  rang,  but  impatient  at  the 
footman's  delay  in  answering  the  bell,  they  broke  the 
glass  panes,  and  from  the  vestibule  entered  the 
spacious  and  beautifully  furnished  drawing-room, 
where  the  Princess,  being  an  invalid,  was  reclining 
on  a  lounge  amidst  a  heap  of  soft,  downy,  lace- 
'bordered  cushions. 

Princess  Kourakine  is  an  old  lady  of  seventy-three, 
with  a  sweet  face  and  snow-white  hair,  which  give 
her  the  air  of  an  eighteenth  century  marquise.  Her 
attitude  towards  the  intruders  was  superb.  She  did 
not  flinch  when  the  soldiers  entered,  nor  did  she 
alter  her  pose.  Telling  them  in  her  quiet  lady-lik« 
voice  that  she  was  not  well  enough  to  show  them 
over  the  house,  she  took  the  keys  from  a  small 
basket  and  gave  them  to  the  soldiers  with  her 
grandest  air,  adding  that  they  could  switch  on  the 
electric  light  and  inspect  the  whole  place.  Visibly 
impressed  by  the  old  lady's  dignified  behaviour, 
one  of  the  soldiers  looked  at  the  Princess  in  a  re- 
assuring way :  "  Don't  be  alarmed,  Granny,  we  shall 
do  thee  no  harm."  In  a  very  short  while  they  left 
the  house,  without  having  caused  the  slightest 
damage. 

Captain  M — ,  a  young  man  of  about  thirty,  was  on 
service  in  one  of  the  naval  barracks  in  Helsingfors, 
when  a  search  party  arrived.  On  their  question : 
*'  Have  you  got  any  concealed  fire-arms  ?  the  Captain 
emphatically  replied  "  No. "  He  then  had  to  conduct 
the  soldiers  all  over  the  place  to  verify  the  truth  of 


294      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

his  assertions.  Boldly  leading  the  way,  Captain 
M —  felt  great  misgivings,  for  he  was  not  at  all  sure 
whether  fire-arms  had  been  stored  away  or  not,  and 
he  knew  that  if  rifles  or  machine-guns  were  found, 
he  would  be  ruthlessly  put- to  death.  Fortunately 
the  Captain  had  been  right — there  were  no  fire-arms. 
But  the  moral  tension  during  the  two  hours  which  the 
search  lasted  was  so  intense  that  when  the  Captain 
returned  home,  his  family  was  astonished  to  see  that 
his  thick  auburn  hair  had  grown  snow-white. 

Many  cases  of  nervous  breakdowns  and  mental 
alienation  have  been  the  result  of  the  terrors  during 
the  acute  period  of  the  Revolution. 

Rich  people  are  trying  to  sell  their  possessions,  for 
fear  of  sharing  the  fate  of  General  Dournovo's 
collections  of  beautiful  things,  which  had  been 
amassed  by  generations  and  contained  some  rare 
art  gems.  American  antiquarians  have  hastened 
to  Petrograd  and  are  lavishly  laying  out  their  money 
in  acquiring  pictures  and  art  treasures  belonging 
to  the  Russian  aristocracy.  Prince  Youssoupoff  has 
sold  all  his  collections  for  eight  millions  of  dollars. 
Countess  Kleinmichel  has  sold  her  beautiful  mansion 
on  the  Serguievskaia,  the  scene  of  so  many  brilliant 
festivities,  with  all  it  contained,  as  well  as  her 
famous  "  Cottage  "  on  the  Islands.  The  Countess 
is  taking  her  remaining  goods  and  chattels  to  an 
hotel  where  she  will  settle  for  the  winter. 

Prince  Saltykoff  sold  his  marvellous  collection  of 
old  china  for  £25,000.  Jewels  are  being  sold  in 
quantities.  People  are  trying  to  dispossess  them- 
selves of  all  they  can,  and  turn  their  valuables  into 
money.     Only  estates  cannot  be  sold,  not  even  the 


THE  TRAIL  OF  REVOLUTION         295 

smallest  portion  of  land.  The  Senior  Notary  has 
received  orders  not  to  ratify  any  sales  of  land.  This 
is  done  for  two  reasons  :  in  anticipation  of  the 
impending  Agrarian  reform,  and  to  prevent  the 
prevailing  scare  from  impelling  the  landowners  to 
sell  their  estates,  as  was  the  case  in  1905 — 6. 

Some  people  have  had  the  courage  to  go  for  the 
summer  to  their  country  seats,  but  the  moral 
atmosphere  there  is  not  an  edifying  one.  A  lady 
went  with  her  family  to  a  small  place  she  owns 
between  Petrograd  and  Moscow.  She  has  not  been 
molested,  but  when  she  arrived  from  the  station 
in  a  carriage  drawn  by  four  horses,  the  peasants 
greeted  her  with  the  words  :  "  To-day  you.  are 
driving — it  will  be  our  turn  to-morrow." 

The  family  of  Count  Scheremeteff  are  spending 
the  summer  in  Finland.  Their  beautiful  country- 
place,  Oulianka,  close  to  Petrograd,  is  uninhabitable, 
for  it  has  been  invaded  by  soldiers  belonging  to  the 
anarchists,  and  has  been  robbed  of  half  its  beautiful 
things. 

All  the  old  revolutionists,  who  for  years  have  lived 
in  banishment  in  the  wilds  of  Siberia,  or  as  emigrants 
in  foreign  lands,  have  returned  to  Petrograd. 
Amongst  them  was  an  old  septuagenarian  lady, 
Madame  Breschko-Breschkoffsky.  Being  one  of  the 
oldest  revolutionists,  dating  back  to  the  time  they 
were  called  nihilists,  Madame  Breschko-Breschkoffsky 
has  earned  the  name  of  the  "  Grandmother  of  the 
Russian  Revolution."  A  great  fuss  was  made  over 
her  return.  The  station  was  decorated  with  flags, 
the  Imperial  rooms  thrown  open  and  all  the  revolu- 
tionists, with  M.  Kerensky  at  their  head,  carrying  a 


296      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

huge  bouquet  of  flowers,  were  assembled  on  the 
platform  to  greet  the  old  lady. 

The  train  arrived.  M.  Kerensky  stepped  forward, 
flourishing  the  nosegay  in  his  hand  prepared  to 
utter  one  of  his  most  telling  speeches,  but.  no 
revolutionary  grandmother  stepped  from  the  train, 
and  under  the  disappointing  circumstances  he  had  to 
leave  the  words  of  greeting  unsaid  and,  followed  by 
the  crowd  of  advanced  thinkers,  looking  rather 
foolish,  he  entered  his  motor-car  and  was  swiftly 
driven  away. 

This  happened  several  times,  for  the  old  lady  kept 
changing  the  itinerary  of  her  journey  home,  and 
arrived  a  month  later  than  was  at  first  expected. 
It  became  quite  ridiculous  ;  the  newspapers  one 
day  flourishing  trumpets  at  her  supposed  arrival, 
and  announcing  the  next  that  the  rumour  had 
been  a  false  alarm.  When  at  last  the  much- 
heralded  "  Grandm^other "  did  arrive,  she  was 
woefully  disappointed  with  her  younger  colleagues. 
She  was  shocked  at  what  was  going  on  in  Petrograd, 
and  when  she  witnessed  some  of  the  demonstrations 
against  the  Provisional  Government  and  heard  the 
repeated  cries  of  "Doloy  Voynou"  (away  with  the 
war),  she  wept  bitterly.  At  that  moment,  seeing  the 
unruly  sprouts  that  she  had  helped  to  sow,  strange 
feelings  mast  have  filled  her  heart.  Perhaps  she 
felt  regret  for  some  of  her  past  actions. 

At  the  present  moment  the  energetic  lady  is 
travelling  about  the  country,  going  to  all  the  garrison 
towns,  haranguing  at  soldiers'  meetings,  endeavour- 
ing to  instil  in  her  auditors  a  sense  of  duty,  and 
incite  them  to  go  to  the  front  and  fight  for  their 


THE  TRAIL  OF  REVOLUTION         397 

countty.  In  Simferopol  the  soldiers  promised  her 
not  to  have  the  red  banner  hoisted  in  their  regiment  1 
Who  would  have  believed  that  a  day  would  come 
when  one  of  the  principal  leaders  of  the  revolu- 
tionary movement  would  speak  against  the  red 
badge  ! 

What  happened  in  the  Russian  Army  closely 
following  upon  the  bright  dawn  of  the  Revolution, 
can  only  be  compared  to  the  "  revolt  of  mercenaries  *' 
in  Carthage  in  the  pre-Christian  era ;  but  the 
Carthagenian  soldiers  had  the  excuse  that  their 
wages  had  not  been  paid  them  for  a  considerable 
time,  whereas  the  Russian  soldiers  were  always 
well  provided  for,  during  the  old  regime.  After 
the  Revolution,  they  were  made  heroes  of  and  were 
subjected  to  a  system  of  pampering,  that  entirely 
spoiled  them.  It  was  the  fatal  f^rst  "  Prikaze  "*  that 
did  all  the  liarm,  the  privileges  and  rights  that  were 
all  of  a  sudden  showered  on  the  soldiers  put  an  end 
to  discipline  and  nullified  the  very  qualities  for 
which  the  Russian  Army  was  famed. 

This  "  Prikaze,"  sanctioned  by  the  War  Minister, 
M.  Gutchkoif,  was  drawn  up  by  three  of  the  most 
influential  members  of  the  Labour  Party :  the 
member  of  the  Duma,  Tcheidze,  M.  Tchernoff,  the 
present  Minister  of  Agriculture,  and  M.  Stekloff. 
This  Prikaze  was  the  first  drop  of  deadly  poison  that 
filtered  into  the  army,  threatening  its  complete 
decay.  It  must  be  added  for  the  honour  of  the 
soldiers  that  they  would  not  have  gone  against 
their  oath  of  fealty  to  the  Tzar  had  they  not  been 
led  by  the  chiefs  of  the  revolutionary  movement 

•  Order. 


298      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

into  believing  that  the  Tzar  had  voluntarily  re- 
nounced all  rights  to  the  crown  a  few  days  prior 
to  the  abdication.  They  therefore  considered  them- 
selves free  agents. 

The  soldiers  were  in  the  position  of  men  suddenly 
deprived  of  their  religion.  Life  had  run  on  in  such 
an  even,  monotonous  groove  for  so  many  years 
that  they  felt  utterly  out  of  their  depth  at  the 
sudden  alteration  in  the  current  of  their  existence. 
Not  having  a  high  moral  standard  of  their  own, 
all  the  meaner  qualities  of  their  natures  rose  to 
the  surface. 

One  of  the  principal  psychological  reasons  why 
the  Russian  soldiers  suddenty  became  laggards  in 
battle  has  not  been  taken  enough  into  consideration, 
either  at  home  or  abroad.  The  average  Russian 
soldier  does  not  care  a  brass  button  for  politics, 
which  he  does  not  understand.  He  was  not  inter- 
ested in  the  reasons  which  called  forth  the  European 
conflagration.  It  was  enough  that  the  battle-call 
was  given  ;  the  Tzar  desired  them  to  fight,  they 
obeyed  in  the  name  of  God  and  for. the  Tzar.  From 
the  moment  this  motive  ceased  to  exist,  the  war 
lost  all  "  raison  d'etre "  in  their  eyes.  They 
clamoured  for  peace  at  all  hazards.  Why,  indeed, 
should  they  go  on  fighting  ?  A  sense  of  duty  to 
our  Allies  is  unknown  to  them,  and  they  do  not 
acknowledge  the  right  of  the  Provisional  Govern- 
ment, composed  "  of  mujiki*  like  ourselves,"  to 
make  them  risk  their  lives  for  political  benefits 
which  they  neither  appreciate  nor  comprehend. 

It  is  for  the  first  time  that  the  world  comes  into 

*  Peasants. 


THE  TRAIL  OF  REVOLUTION         299 

direct  contact  with  the  Russian  people,  without  the 
smoothing  mediation  of  a  cultured  Government, 
and  the  dazzling  impression  of  a  brilliant  Court, 
That  the  effect  has  not  been  a  pleasing  one  has  been 
gradually  acknowledged  by  all  the  Western  countries. 

Another  result  of  the  Revolution  is  that  it  has 
entirely  \ailgarised  the  country.  Russia  with  her 
sparkling  fa9ade  — somewhat  oriental  in  its  splendour 
— is  no  more  to  be  recognised.  All  that  was  beauti- 
ful, imposing  and  brilliant  has  disappeared — -and 
what  has  remained  is  vulgar,  paltry  and  mean. 

The  American  democratic  delegates  have  just 
left  Petrograd,  sorely  disappointed  with  the  Russian 
democracy.  Their  verdiet  is  that  Russia  is  a  long 
way  off  from  a  Republican  Government .  The  ma j  ority 
of  people  are  not  fit  for  self-government ;  they  have 
no  idea  of  the  value  of  time,  no  consciousness  of 
duty,  no  standard  of  moral  integrity.  As  a  country 
Russia  represents  great  riches,  but  these  riches  are 
only  in  the  latent  state  of  possibilities,  requiring 
development,  and  the  land's  finances  at  the  present 
moment  are  far  from  being  in  a  brilliant  condition. 

The  roots  of  our  industry  are  being  systematically 
sapped  through  the  imprudence  of  the  workmen. 
How  can  a  Republic  flourish  under  such  conditions  ? 
But  the  Social  Democrats  in  Russia  have  not  the 
political  insight  to  admit  this. 

The  incongruity  of  things  in  Russia  is  largely 
due  to  the  vast  difference  that  lies  between  the 
cultured  and  educated  higher  classes  and  the  rest 
of  the  population,the  majority  of  which  is  represented 
by  peasants,  or  people  coming  from  their  ranT^s. 
There   is   likewise   a   sort   of  go-between   class   of 


300      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

educated,  but  totally  uncultured  people,  who  not 
only  do  not  possess  breeding  themselves,  but  profess 
a  thorough  contempt  for  those  who  do.  This  latter 
class  of  people  is  the  most  dangerous  of  all. 

At  the  present  moment  everything  is  getting 
topsy-turvy.  A  well-educated  lady  can  obtain  work 
at  a  bank  or  in  an  office  at  a  salary  from  75  to 
150  roubles  a  month,  and  may  consider  herself 
lucky  to  be  engaged  on  such  terms.  A  simple 
factory  girl,  on  the  othet  hand,  can  without  diffi- 
culty earn  200  roubles  a  month,  and  the  wages  of 
women  tram-guards  have  been  raised  to  160  roubles 
a  month.  A  man  with  a  university  education 
thinks  himself  fortunate  to  be  employed  with  a 
salary  from  250  to  500  roubles  a  month,  whilst  a 
skilled  workman,  at  the  present  rate,  earns  30 
roubles  a  day.  Manual  labour  is  valued  much, 
higher  than  intellectual  work. 

The  favourite  modem  appellation  of  the  well- 
dressed,  well-bred  man  is  "  bourjouy  "  (derived  from 
the  French  "bourgeois").  Everybody  who  is  not 
a  workman  or  an  anarchist  is  contemptuously 
referred  to  as  a  "  bourjouj'-."  Now,  as  a  matter  of 
fact,  there  are  no  "  bourgeois  "  in  Russia. 

We  have  numerous  families  who  belong  to  the 
small  gentry,  but  the}?'  have  their  titles  of  nobility. 
Some  people  are  of  opinion  that  it  is  a  mistake  in 
the  general  state  of  things  in  Russia  that  such  a 
burgher-class  does  not  exist  to  fit  in  between  the 
real  gentry,  bordering  on  the  aristocracy,  and  the 
peasants.  In  former  times  all  the  landowners, 
even  those  possessing  only  a  limited  number  of 
acres,  belonged  to  the  class  of  untitled  nobility. 


THE  TRAIL  OF  REVOLUTION         301 

and  the  labourers  and  workmen  were  peasants. 
There  is  a  class  of  people  called  "  mestchane,"  but 
they  do  not  correspond  to  the  French  bourgeois, 
or  the  German  burghess.  The  "  mestchane  "  are 
peasants  that  dwell  in  towns. 

Now  that  the  Romanoffs  have  been  set  aside, 
and  Russia  exists  no  longer  as  an  Empire,  there  has 
been  a  tendency,  especially  in  the  first  days  of  the 
Revolution,  to  destroy  the  Imperial  eagles,  wherever 
they  were  placed.  This  proves  the  after  ignorance 
of  the  people,  as  well  as  of  their  leaders,  for  the 
eagles  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  Romanoffs. 

For  over  five  centuries  the  eagles  have  represented 
the  national  Russian  coat-of-arms.  They  were  in- 
troduced into  the  Russian  nation's  crest  in  the  reign 
of  Ivan  in  (1462-1505,  sumamed  "the  Good" — ^he 
emancipated  Russia  from  the  yoke  of  the  Tartars). 
The  eagles  were  brought  to  Russia  from  Byzantium 
by  Sophia  Paliologue,  the  wiie  of  Ivan  III,  and  the 
latter  had  the  eagles  belonging  to  his  wife's  race 
adopted  in  Russia.  The  Griffin  belongs  to  the 
Romanoff's  private  coat-of-arms. 

Since  the  war  special  officer- classes  have  been 
instituted  in  the  Page  School.  These  are  attended 
by  even,  some  of  them,  married  men,  in  order  to 
pass  their  military  examinations  and  go  to  the 
front  as  qualified  officers.  One  of  these  temporary 
pupils  of  the  Page  School  entered  a  tram-car,  and 
his  smart  uniform  attracted  the  notice  of  two  gruff- 
looking  soldiers,  calling  forth  sneering  remarks, 
made  in  a  loud  voice,  on  the  "  military  bourjouy  " 
that  has  just  come  in.  Hearing  the  corrunents 
concerning   himself,    which   were   meant   to   reach 


302      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

the  ears  of  an  appreciative  tram  public,  the  young 
man  calmly  turns  to  the  two  soldiers  and  in  a  distinct 
voice  says  :  "  I  do  not  conceal  that  I  am  not  a 
'  Leninet '  (follower  of  Lenine),  and  do  not  live  on 
money  received  from  Germany.".  The  laugh  that 
ensued  was  at  the  expense  of  the  soldiers,  who  looked 
extremely  foolish. 

It  is  noticeable  when  such  conflicts  occur  now, 
the  public  sides  against  the  soldiers.  One  day  a 
white-haired  general  of  venerable  aspect  entered  a 
first-class  railway  carriage  going  to  Tzarskoe  Selo. 
On  the  seat  opposite  to  him  sprawled  a  soldier 
puffing  a  cigarette,  and  from  the  tail  of  his  eye 
observing  the  attitude  of  the  general.  The  latter 
took  no  more  notice  of  him  than  if  he  had  been 
empty  space.  Taking  out  another  cigarette,  the 
soldier  familiarly  leaned  across  towards  the  general, 
holding  out  his  cigarette  case. 

"  Well,  comrade,  let's  have  a  smoke  together," 
he  said  insolently. 

White  to  the  lips,  the  general  draws  his  revolver 
from  his  pocket,  and  handing  it  to  the  soldier  says  : 

"  Please  shoot  me  outright,  but  do  not  dare  to 
accost  me  in  such  an  impertinent  manner.  I  never 
was  and  never  shall  be  your  comrade." 

The  other  occupants  of  the  carriage  were  disgusted 
with  the  soldier's  impudent  outbreak,  and  openly 
sided  with  the  general.  The  abashed  soldier,  hastily 
beat  a  retreat  to  a  third-class  carriage.     , 

Another  consequence  of  the  Revolution  is  that 
women  have  been  accorded  all  kinds  of  rights. 
In  that  respect  we  have  outstripped  the  Western 
countries.     In  Russia  women  will  henceforth  take 


THE   TRAIL  OF  REVOLUTION         303 

a  prominent  part  in  all  administrations  and  govern- 
mental institutions.  Countess  Panine  has  been 
nominated  the  Assistant  Minister  of  the  Charitable 
Board,  a  new  Ministry,  destined  to  take  the  place 
of  the  former  institutions  of  the  Empress  Marie. 
We  have  women  senators,  women  members  of  the 
town  councils,  without  mentioning  a  new  regiment 
which  has  been  formed  of  j^oung  women.  This 
regiment  has  been  duly  drilled,  presented  with  a 
special  standard,  went  to  the  front,  and  fought 
magnificently.  Advanced  thinkers  among  Russian 
women  are  delighted  at  this  transformation,  though 
the  public  at  large  looks  on  with  a  smile  of  derision. 
The  illustrated  papers  are  full  of  caricatures  repre- 
senting the  distracted  husbands  pacifying  squalling 
infants,  rocking  cradles,  or  looking  after  the  pots  and 
pans  in  the  kitchen,  whilst  the  wife  struts  off  to 
her  business  duties  with  a  preoccupied  air  and  a 
heap  of  papers  under  the  arm. 

What  else  can  be  said  to  complete  this  account 
of  the  March  Revolution  in  Russia,  its  motives, 
caiises  and  results,  except  to  add  the  fervent  hope 
that  the  laboriously  painful  crisis  which  the  country 
is  traversing  may  soon  come  to  *a  climax,  which 
will  enable  the  rejuvenated  nation  to  come  forth 
in  its  old  might  and  grandeur,  like  the  Phoenix  of 
the  Arabian  desert,  rising  from  the  ashes  with  new 
strength  to  proceed  towards  progress,  success  and 
prosperity. 

A  new  Dynasty  is  spoken  of  and  several  more  or 
less  likely  representatives  of  old  faces  are  named  as 
the  most  probable  candidates  to  the  throne  of 
Russia.     The  old  custom  of  the  former  Tzats  is  to  be 


304      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 

revived,  for  the  Sovereign  to  choose  a  Consort, 
worthy  of  her  future  position,  from  among  the  highest 
ladies  of  the  land.  The  new  Tzar — ^Russia  cannot 
exist  without  a  Tzar,  although  many  months  may 
elapse  before  Tzardon,  which  is  now  in  abeyance, 
will  be  again  restored  to  its  old  glory  —  the  new 
Tzar  will  do  well  to  take  the  sad  experiences  of  his 
predecessor  to  heart,  and  not  let  a  German  Princess 
lead  the  country  to  destruction. 

I  have  finished.  Let  me  express  the  hope  that 
this  candid  account  of  the  great  historical  days  of 
February  and  March,  1917,  will  help  to  enlighten 
the  English  readers  as  to  the  circumstances  that  led 
up  to  -the  Revolution,  and  will  convince  every 
unbiassed  mind  as  to  the  urgency  of  the  impending 
change,. as  well  as  from  what  danger  the  country  was 
saved  by  the  Left  •  factions  of  the  Duma's  bold 
resolution  to  lift  the  red  flag  of  Revolution.  The 
facility  and  rapidity  of  throwing  off  the  yoke  of 
the  Dynasty,  the  instantaneous  transfer  of  the 
numerous  regiments'  allegiance  to  the  side  of  the 
people,  and  many  other  events  of  the  following 
days,  seemed  to  crown  and  rivet  the  success  of  this 
extraordinary  parliamentary  enterprise,  unforeseen 
in  the  Statutes.  It  gave  the  Provisional  Government 
the  possibility  of  launching  the  country,  agitated  with 
the  unsuccess  of  the  war,  privations  and  the  fear 
of  the  future,  on  the  road  of  honour,  energetic 
activity  and  success.  Such  a  problem  threatened 
not  only  the  ruin  of  the  external  enemy,  but  scored 
over  the  Russian  anarchical  preacher's  impotence. 
The  period  of  revolutionary  festivity  and  manifesta- 
tion seemed  all  too  short  and  too  simple  in  the  eyes 


THE  TRAIL   OF   REVOLUTION        305 

of  many  of  my  countrymen.  All  the  springs  of  the 
apparatus  were  pressed,  theoretically  called  upon  to 
act  in  beautiful  concord  with  the  Provisional  Govern- 
ment, and  the  latter  was  forcibly  convinced  that  it 
was  only  a  frontispiece,  a  symbol  of  something  that 
was  not  rooted  in  the  nation  and  possessed  no  power. 

It  is  said  that  "  les  extremit^s  se  touchent  "  and 
the  days  of  April,  191 7,  when  the  Russian  army 
seemed  to  fall  to  pieces,  when  a  separate  peace  with 
Germany  was  removed  from  the  Cabinet,  once  more 
placed  our  Allies  before  the  tempest  of  ruin  and 
treason,  the  clouds  of  which  were  gathering  in 
Russia  during  the  last  months  of  the  Monarchy  and 
which,  so  it  was  fervently  hoped,  had  been  chased 
away  by  the  harmony  that  reigned  amongst  the 
people,  the  army  and  the  Duma. 

What  the  future  holds  no  one  can  forecast. 
Possibly  a  strong  man  will  arise — a  Washington,  a 
Cromwell,  or  a  Napoleon — a  man  who  will  appreciate 
that  no  country  that  has  just  emerged  from  a 
Revolution,  and  is  in  the  midst  of  the  greatest  war 
she  has  ever  fought,  can  be  ruled  by  eloquence,  no 
matter  how  forceful  or  inspired. 


THE  END 


INDEX 


Alexander  I,  23,  175,  180,  181,  183 

Alexander  II,  26,  131,  183,  199,  205, 
249,  281,  287,  288 

Alexander  III,  7,  8,  10,  16,  18,  21, 
26,  199,  263,  264,  266,  267 

Alexander  Michaelovitch,  Grand 
Duke,  270,  271 

Alexandra  Feodorovna,  Empress, 
ex-Tzaritsa,  accusations  against, 
155,  156,  159  :  acrostic  made  by 
people  on,  151  ;  anecdotes  of, 
108-114;  attacked  by  M.  Miliu- 
koff  in  Duma,  91,  137 ;  bore 
serious  grudge  against  England, 
64 ;  considered  bird  of  ill  omen 
in  own  home,  206 ;  Coronation 
of,  16 ;  description  of  in  maga- 
zine, 179,  180  ;  despair  at  death 
of  Rasputine,  99-101  ;  detested 
by  Russian  people,  97  ;  devotee 
of  occult  science  and  hypnotism, 
18,  19 ;  disappointed  at  birth 
of  daughter,  16,  18  ;  facts  proving 
fatality  of,  153  ;  half-hearted 
concerning  war,  64  :  ill  health  of, 
269,  270 ;  inability  to  under- 
stand Russian  character,  59,  60, 
61  ;  influence  over  Nicholas  II, 
15,  16,  24,  67  ;  "insists  on  punish- 
ment of  Rasputine 's  murderers, 
102,  103  ;  interference  in  Govern- 
ment of,  28,  75,  89,  153-155,  159. 
183,  184  ;  makes  herself  Ras- 
putine's  mouthpiece,  82 ;  mar- 
riage of,  II  ;  omens  concerning, 
205,  206  ;  prevails  upon  Nicholas 
II  not  to  grant  full  constitution, 
152  ;  real  ruler  of  Russia,  15,  89  ; 
receives  emissaries  from  Duma, 
146.  147  ;  removes  all  Nicholas 
11 's  true  friends,  62  ;  resorts  to 
expedients  to  ensure  birth  of 
son,  18,  19 ;  responsible  for 
WTCck  of  Russian  Monarchy,  7, 
151  ;    rigorous  captivity  of,  187, 


188 ;  strained  relations  with 
Empress  Marie,  14,  24 ;  super- 
stitious belief  in  Rasputine,  54, 
57.  59  '.  telegrams  to  Nicholas  II 
during  Revolution  of,  119,  120 
ungracious  manners  of,  13,  14 
upbraids  her  husband  for  his 
abdication,  149. 

Alexeieff,  General,  82, 124,  147,  229, 
2^0 

Alexis,  Grand  Duke,  ex-Tzessare- 
vitch,  asks  if  his  father's  abdica- 
tion is  legal,  210  ;  birth  of,  20  ; 
complains  to  M.  Kerensky,  210; 
dislike  of  Rasputine,  48  ;  gritf 
on  hearing  of  his  father's  abdic- 
ation, 149  ;  seriously  ill  with 
measles,   115,   119,   146     . 

Alexis,  Bishop  of  Kazan,  43,  43 

Altschiller,  Austrian  spy,  68,  73, 
74,   76,   161 

Anastasia  Nicolaievna,  Grand 
Duchess,   23 

Anastasia  Nicolaievna,  youngest 
daughter  of  Nicholas  II,  iii,  119 

Andrianoflf,  General,  57,  58 

Apraxine,  Count,  147  • 

BadmaefE,  Dr.,  89 

Balk,  General,  117,  160,  233 

Bark,  M.,  late  Minister  of  Finance, 

142.  143 
Belaieff,  General,  84,  160 
Beletzky,  Senator,  160 
Benckendorff,  Count,  66,  146,  187, 

188,  208 
Besobrasoff,  Procurator,  252 
Black  Cabinet,  the,    196-199 
Bobrinsky,  Count,  91,  247 
Boris,  Grand  Duke,  158 
Boutovitch,  M.,  75,  76 
Brauermeister,  M.,  68,  69 
Breschko-BreSchkoffeky,  Mme.,  293, 

296 
Brussiloff,  General,  124,  159,  230 


3o8      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 


Bublikofi,  M.,  277 

Bunting,  M.  Nicholas,  Governor  of 

Tver,  160 
Burtzefi,  M.,  34,  176 

"Cadets,"  Constitutional  Demo- 
cratic Party,  135, 137, 140-143,284 

Constantiue,  late  Grand  Duke,  35 

Crighton,  M.,  Governor  of  Vologda, 
160 

Cyril,  Grand  Duke,  first  cousin  to 
Nicholas  II,  122,  156,  157 

Danilovitch,  General,  g 

Derevenko,  faithful^  servant  of  Im- 
perial Family,  270 

Derfelden,  Mme.,  107 

Djunkovsky,  General,  56-59,  200 

Dmitry  Pavlovitch,  Grand  Duke, 
97.  99,  104 

Dobrocolsky,  Senator,  160 

Dobrovolsky,  Senator,  Minister  of 
Justice,  107,  154 

Dolgorouky,  Prince,  17 

Dolgoroukoff,  Prince,  148,  149,  187, 
188,  208 

Doumovo,  M.  Ivan,  202 

Doumovo,  late  M.  Peter  Nicolaie- 
vitch,  38,  39,  141 

Dubassofi,  Governor-General  of 
Moscow.  39 

Edward  VII.  11 

Elisabeth,  Grand  Duchess,  17, 18,  33 

Elisabeth    Mavrikievna,    Dowager 

Grand  Duchess,  273 
Ewert,  General,  124 

Fredericks,  Count, 23,  47,66,67,114, 

118,  XI9.  123,  125, 129, 148,  X49 
Frederick  William  III,  25 

Gapon,  Priest,  28-31 

George,  Grand  Duke,  brother  of 
Nicholas  II,  9 

Germany,  p.ttcrnpts  to  isolate  Rus- 
sia from  all  aiaances,  27  ;  changes 
in  Russia  not  welcome  in,  207, 
238 ;     directs    Revolution    into 


anarchical  channels,  238  ;  incites 
Russian  people  against  present 
Government,  214 ;  inspires  re- 
volutions in  Russia,  27 ;  insti- 
gates riots  at  Revolution.  87, 
206 ;  prompted  massacres  of 
Jan.,  1905.  39  ;  Russo-Japanese 
War  provoked  by,  27 

Godneff,  M.,  State  Controller,  144 

Goremykine,  M..  former  Prime 
Minister,   160 

Golitzine,  Prince  Nicholas,  106-108, 
160,  276 

Golovine,  Mme.,  41 

Grimm,  Socialist,  231 

Griinwald,  General  von,  66,  160 

Gutchkoff,  M.,  accusations  against, 
221,  222  ;  career  of,  1 39-1 41  ; 
makes  startling  revelations  about 
War  Office,  83  ;  receives  abdica- 
tion of  Tzar,  125,  127-131  ; 
resigns  post  of  War  Minister, 
225,  241  ;  saved  country  from 
anarchy,  256  ;  slackens  discipline 
in  army,  223,  225,  297 

Habaloff,  General,  160 
Heath,  Mr.,  9 
Hendrikoff,  Countess,  270 
Huehme,  Baron  Hoyningen,  66 

Ignatieff,  Count,  51 
Ignatiefi,  Dowager  Countess,  41 
IlUodore,  monk,  86-88 
Ivanoff,  General,  71,  132 

Joffne,  General,  71 

Kartzeff,  Admiral,  160 
Kchessinsky,  Mme.,  77,  170,  251 
Kerensky.     M.,     Prime     Minister, 
becomes     War     Minister,     241  ; 
career  of.  138  ;  denounces  Govern- 
ment.  91  ;    description  of,   278- 
280 ;     impressed    by   fidelity   of 
courtiers,  208  ;   liberates  General 
Ivanoff,   132  ;    his  opjxMition  to 
Grand     Duke    Nicholas's    re-in- 
J      statement  at  Com.-in-Chief,  157  ; 


INDEX 


309 


-  pays  tribute  te  ex-Trar,  269  ; 
private  interview  with  Protopo- 
pofiE,  135  ;  saved  country  from 
anarchy,  256 ;  secret  document 
regarding,  276.  277 ;  treats  sol- 
diers too  indu!(.'ently,  225-230 

Khalaloff,  General,  116 

Klado,  Captain,  36 

Kleinmichel,  Count,  286,  294 

Kleinmichel,  Countess,  166-168 

Klimovitch,  Senator,  160 

Khvostoff,  M.,  Alexis,  86-88,  165 

Kolaeff,  student  and  assassin,  33,  34 

Kolchak,  Admiral,  247 

Konovaloff,  M..  142,  143,  243,  259 

Korff,  Baron,  66 

Komiloff,  General,  224,  225,  230 

Kotchubey,  Prince,  188 

Kotzebue,  Commandant,  188  . 

KoulaisseS,  Count,  102 

Kourakine,  Prince,  167 

Kourakine,  Princess,  292,  293 

Krasheninnikoff,  Senator,  160 

Kulikovsky,  271,  273 

Kurloff,  General,  200 

Lansdowne,  Lord,  282 

Lenine,  171  and  footnote,  212,  231, 

239.  247,  250,  253,  254 
Linevitch,  General,  28 
LomonossofE,  Poet,  265  and  footnote 
Louise,  Queen  of  Prussia,  25 
Luchtenberg,  Duchess  Helen  of,  273 
Lwoff,    M.,    Procurator    of    Holy 
^Synod,    144 
Lwofi,  Prince,  G.E.,  135,  223,  241, 

255,  257,  274    ,2        .:r.>ig      ,  . 

•'■•  t- -'■•■..  ...    s;? 

Makeroff.BM.,  73,  154  ' ,,p-* . -ii. ;- 1^ 
1^'aklakoff,  M,,f85,  160,  201 
Manas 'evitch-Manouilo IT,   M.,   153, 

154 
Miinoidloff,  M.  A.  A.,  141,  142 
Marie  Dagmar,   Dowager  Empres  , 

her  correspondence  searched,  271; 

detestation  of  Hohenzollems,  10  ; 

devoted  mother,  8  ;    disapproval 

of  conduct  of  Nicholas  II  and  his 


wife,  23  ;  influence  over  Nicholas 
II  vanished,  23  ;  intercedes  for 
Rasputine's  murderers,  102  ;  Op- 
position to  Nicholas  II 's  marriage, 
10  ;  parting  scene  with  Nicholas 
II,  147,  148 ;  sympathy  with 
Russian  prisoners,  113 ;  with- 
drawal from  Court,  24 

Marie,  Grand  Duchess,  3rd  daughter 
of  Nicholas  II,  119 

Marie  Pavlovna,  Grand  Duchess, 
widow  of  Grand  Duke  Vladimir, 
77,  78,  118,  158 

Marie,  Pavlovna,  junior.  Grand 
Duchess,  103,  159 

Miassoyedoff,  Colonel,  Pnxssian  «py, 
66,  68,  69,  76,  140,  161,  199,  200 

Mengden,  General,  Count,  footnote 
to  p.  271,  286 

Mengden,  Countess,  271 

Menshikoff,  M.,  journalist,  38 

Meyendorff,  Baron,  66 

Michael  Alexandrovitch,  Grand 
Duke,  brother  of  Nicholas  II,  94, 
121,  133,  134,  207  and  footnote 

MiliukofE,  M.,  Minister  of  Foreign 
Affairs,  appointed  Minister  of 
Foreign  Affairs,  136  ;  biographi- 
cal details  of,  136-138  ;  condemns 
ex-Tzaritza's  desire  for  separate 
peace,  91  ;  deficiency  in  tact, 
284  ;  disliked  by  Germany,  239  ; 
distrusted  by  Soldiers'  and  Work- 
men's Deputies,  240  ;  feud  be- 
tween M.  Purishkevitch  and,  137  ; 
leader  of  "  Cadets."  284 

Mine,  General,  169  and  footnote 

Mitia  the  Blessed,  staretz,  45 

Mordvinoff,  Colonel,  123,  148 

Narishkine,  General,  123,  148 
Narishkine,  Mme.,  168,  187,  270 
Necrassofi,  M.,  Minister  of  Ways  and 

Communications,  141 
Nicholas  I,  26,  181,  182,  261 
Nicholas    II,    ex-Tzar,    Abdication 
Act  of,  128,  129  ;   alienated  from 
his    family    by    liis    wife,    24 ; 


THE -FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 


310 

assists  widows  and  orphans  of 
Russo-Japanese  War,  36 ;  com- 
plete subjection  to  influence  of 
his  wife,  15,  16,  82  ;  Coronation 
of,  16  ;  decides  to  grant  respon- 
sible Ministry,  123,  152  ;  dis- 
satisfaction of  monarchists  with, 
163-165 ;  distress  at  estrange- 
ment from  his  mother,  105 ; 
draws  up  manifesto,  124  ;  en- 
deavours to  tread  in  his  father  "s 
steps,  267 ;  education  of,  g ; 
entire  isolation  of,  62,  65  ;  his 
entourage  mainly  German,  66 ; 
and  General  Soukhomlinoff,  69- 
75 ;  grief  at  assassination  of 
Grand  Duke  Serge,  34 ;  inter- 
view with  MM.  Gutchkoff  and 
Schulguine,  125-130  ;  legend  re- 
garding crowrw  of,  194 ;  makes 
extraordinary  changes  in  Min- 
istry, 82-90  ;  his  marriage  worst 
calamity  in  his  life,  12  ;  marries 
Princess  Alix  of  Hesse,  ij  ; 
meeting  with  his  wife  after 
abdication,  149 ;  own  Ministers 
worst  enemies  of,  202  ;  parting 
scene  with  his  mother  and 
Headquarter's  Staff,  147,  148 ; 
personal  appearance  and  char- 
acteristics of,  13,  15,  18,  36,  37, 
62,  82,  106,  178,  179,  267 ; 
persuaded  to  appoint  Protopopoff 
Minister  of  the  Interiot,  90 ; 
Plehve  spies  upon  private  letters 
of,  198,  199  ;  popularity  at  out- 
break of  War,  63 ;  receives 
deputations  of  workmen,  30 ; 
reconciliation  with  Grand  Duke 
Paul,  35 ;  refuses  to  listen  to 
exposures  of  Rasputine  and  warn- 
ings by  his  mother  and  relations, 
93,  94,  104,  io5,»ii5;  relations 
Avith  M.  Kerensky,  210 ;  re- 
signed to  present  fate,  268 ; 
rigorous  captivity  of,  187,  188  ; 
soldiers'  grief  at   departure  from 


Headquarters  of,  254,  255  ;  takes 
over  Chief  Command,  81  ;  takes 
stem  measures  to  avenge  Ras- 
putine's  death,  101-104 ;  un- 
popularity first  caused,  12  ;  vic- 
tim of  ill  luck,  12,  267,  268 ; 
weakness  regarding  Rasputine, 
46-49.  56-59 

Nicholas,  Grand  Duke,  uncle  of 
Nicholas  II,  advises  Tzar  to 
abdicate,  124 ;  appointed  Vice- 
roy in  Caucasus,  89 ;  disagree- 
ment with  General  Alexeieff,  229  ; 
gives  up  post  as  Viceroy  in 
Caucasus,  158 ;  insists  on  dis- 
missal of  retrogressive  Ministers, 
85  ;  his  palace  searched,  272  ; 
unpopularity  among  army  leaders, 
81;  writing  history  of  Nicholas 
II's  reign,  272,  273 

Nicholas  Michaelovitch,GrandDuke, 
cousin  of  Nicholas  II,  94,  105, 
190,  191 

Nieroth,  Count,  66 

Niloff,  Admiral,  47, 123, 147, 149, 152 

"Okhrane,"  i.e.,  safeguard,  199,  200 

Olga,  Grand  Duchess,  eldest  daugh- 
ter of  Nicholas  II,  48 

Olga,  Grand  Duchess,  daughter  of 
Alexander  III,  271,  272 

Olga,  Dowager  Queen  of  Greece,  103 

Orloff,  Prince,  48 

Panine,  Countess,  302 

Paul,  Grand  Duke,  uncle  of  Nicholas 

II,  35,  103,  104.  121,  122,  159 
Pavlovitch,  Grand  Duke,  Dmitry, 

97.  99.  100.  102-4 
Pistohlcorse,  Mme.,  morganatic  wife 

of  Grand  Duke  Paul,  35,  41 
Plehve,  M.,  32,  34,  166,  198 
Pokrovsky,  M.,  92 
Polivanoff,  General,  77,  83,  84 
Pourtales,  Count,  167 
Poutiatine,  Prince,  121,  160 
Protopopoff,    M.,   late   Minister   of 

Interior,    appointed    Minister   of 


INDEX 


311 


Interior,  88 ;  career  of,  88-91  ; 
desolation  at  death  of  Rasputine, 
loi  :  influenced  by  General  Kur- 
lofi,  200  ;  renders  himself  indis- 
pensable to  Tzaritza,  107 ;  sur- 
renders to  Duma,  134,  135 
Purishkevitch,  M.,  denounces  old 
Government  vigorously,  91,  92, 
108  ;  feud  between  M.  Miliukoff 
and,  137  ;  indignation  at  events 
at  the  Front,  246  ;  participant 
in  Rasputine's  death,  97-99 ; 
reconciliation  with  M.  Miliukoff, 
138 ;  his  share  in  Rasputine's 
death  unpunished,  103  ;  soldiers 
wished  to  arrest,  247 

Raeff,  M.,  201 

Rasputine,  Gregory  Novykh,  ad- 
miration for  ProtopopofE,  89 ; 
anecdotes  of,  49,  50,  55  ;  appear- 
ance of,  51  ;  becomes  a  "  star- 
etz,"  44  ;  body  recovered,  buried 
and  finally  burnt,  99 ;  breach 
with  Bp.  Theophanus,  46  ;  church 
appointments  made  by,  52  ;  de- 
nounced by  Illiodore,  86,  87 ; 
details  of  murder  of,  97,  98  ; 
General  Djunkovsky's  failure  to 
expose,  56-59 ;  his  hypnotic 
power,  41  ;  impression  produced 
on  Tzaritza  by,  46 ;  infatuation 
of  aristocratic  ladies  for,  45  ;  in- 
troduced to  Tzaritza  by  Bp. 
Theophanus,  42  ;  life  in  Petro- 
grad,  49,  50 ;  nursed  when 
wounded  by  Mme.  VyroubofiE,  56  ; 
opposition  to  the  War,  65  ;  his 
origin  and  record,  43  ;  presses 
Tzaritza  to  insist  on  change  in 
Chief  Command,  82  ;  prophesies 
birth  of  heir  to  Russian  Throne, 
20  ;  reins  of  power  seized  by,  62  ; 
report  of  death  of,  93  ;  returns  to 
Petrograd  at  outbreak  of  War, 
65  ;  sent  back  to  Siberia,  46 ; 
supposed    to    ensure    safety    of 


Tzessarcvitch,  46. 48  ;  unbounded 
influence  at  Court,  51-53 ;  un- 
popularity in  Petrograd,  59 ;  visit 
to  hospital  for  officers,  109,  no 

Riemann,  General,  169 

Rittich,  M.,  Minister  of  Agriculture, 
108 

Rjevsky  (journalist),  87,  88 

Roditchefif,  M.,  Minister  of  Finland, 

143 

Rodzianko,  M.,  President  of  Duma, 
consults  with  leaders  of  Army, 
124  ;  forms  new  Cabinet,  135 
saved  country  from  anarchy, 
256  ;  Soldiers'  and  Workmen's 
Council     disloyal    to,    220,    222, 

■  255  ;  strictures  upon  conduct  of, 
221-223  ;  takes  command  over 
insurgents,  118;  visits  Grand 
Duke  Michael,  133 

Rogestvensky,  Admiral,  35 

Romeiko-Gurko,  General,  225 

Ruthenberg,  31,  32 

Russky,  General,  123-126,  129,  131, 

159 
Russo-Japanese  War,  20,  27,  35,  36 
Ryssakofi,  assassin  of  Alexander  II, 

131 

Sallykofif,  Prince,  294 

Sazonoff,    M.,    former   Minister  of 

Foreign  Affairs,  51,  80,  81,  84, 

240,  241 
Sazonofi,  student  and  assassin,  32 
Schenkevitch,  Sister,  112 
Scheremeteff,  Count,  29^ 
Schilling,  Baron,  167 
Schneider,  Mme.,  270 
Schouvalov,  Countess  Elisabeth,  188 
Schulguine,  M.,  91,  125-130,  148 
Schuvaieff,  General,  83,  84 
Serge,  Alexandrovitch,  late  Grand 

Duke,  uncle  of  Nicholas  II,  "lo, 

17.  32-34.  203 
Serge  Michaelovitch,  Grand  Duke» 

72,  77,  170 
Shahovskoy,  Prince,  160 


313      THE  FALL  OF  THE  ROMANOFFS 


Shingareff,  M..  Minister  of  Agricul- 
ture, 142 

Sipiaguine,  M.,  202-204  and  foot- 
note 

Soukhomlinoff,  General,  arrested 
and  imprisoned  in  forrtesa,  74 ; 
dismissed  from  War  Office,  70  ; 
intrigues  against  General  Alexci- 
eflf,  229  ;  protected  by  Rasputine, 
169  ;  re-arrested  and  imprisoned 
in  fortress,  76 ;  release  of,  75  ; 
sheltered  by  Tzar,  156  ;  treachery 
of,  67-71,  73-77,  161 

Soukhomlinofi,  Mme.,  69,  74-77 

Souvorine,  Mme.,  211-213 

Stackelberg,  General  Count.  165 

Stcheglovitoff,  M,,  76. 85, 88, 190, 191 

Stcherbatoff,  Prince,  85 

Stechinsky   M.    160 

Stolypine,  M.,  former  Prime  Minis- 
ter, 32,  34,  39,  200 

Stunner,  M.,  appointed  Minister  of 
Foreign  Affairs,  83  ;  German  by 
birth,  162  ;  inability  to  work  with 
M.  Khvostoff,  88  ;  one  of  chief 
rulers  of  Russia;  89 ;  protects 
blackmailer,  154  ;  resignation  of, 
92 ;    staunch  monarchist,   162 

Stfirmer,  Mme.,  168,  169 

Taneief,  Mile.  Anna  (see  Mme. 
Vyrouboff) 

Taneief,  M.,  father  of  Mme.  Vyrou- 
boff, ai,  209 

Tatiana,  Grand  Duchess,  2nd 
daughter  of  Nicholas  II,  no,  268 

Tatishteff,  Count,  200 

Tchebykine,  General,  158 

Tchemoff,  M.,  297 

Tchertkoff,  Count,  286 

Tcheidze,  M.,  297 

Terestchenko,  M.,  142,  240 

Theophanus,  Bishop,  41,  42,  45,  46 

Trepoff,  late  General  Dmitry,  29,  39 

Trepoff,  Senator  Alexander,  92,  106 

Trotsky,  Socialist,  231 

Troubetskoi,  Prince  Eugene,  92 


Tutcheff,  Mile.,  47 
Tysczkievicz,  Count,  273 

Victoria  Feodorovna.GrandDuchess, 
114.115,273 

Vic'oria,  Queen,  11 

VjTOuboff,  Lieutenant,  21,  22,  23 

Vyrouboff,  Mme.,  accusations 
against,  156 ;  •  becomes  an  in- 
timate in  Imperial  Household, 
21  ;  deplorable  attitude  when 
brought  before  Duma,  208  ;  de- 
velops measles,  115 ;  devoted 
admirer  of  Rasputine,  42,  46,  37  ; 
divorce  of,  23  ;  evil  genius  of 
Tzaritza,  15 ;  greatly  favoured 
by  Tzaritza,  61  ;  grief  at  death 
of  Rasputine,  99,  loi  ;  helps  to 
goveiu  Russia,  89  ;  incarcerated 
in  fortress  at  Petrograd,  149 ; 
introduces  Protopopoff  to  Tzar- 
itza, 90 ;  joins  in  plot  to  make 
Tzaritza  Regent,  96 ;  marriage 
of,  21  ;  nurses  Rasputine  after 
his  wound,  56 ;  opposition  to 
war,  65  ;  scandal  concerning,  22  ; 
sympathises  with  Mme.  Souk- 
homlinoff, 74 ;  wounded  by 
officer,  113 

Wassiltchikoff,  Princess,  95 
Welitchkovsky,  Colonel,  160 
William  I,  German  Emperor,  26 
William  II,   Kaiser,  German  Em- 
peror, 10,  II,  26,  63,  66, 
Williams,  General.  188 
Witte,  Count,  27,  28,  37-39,  63,  66, 

141,   162 
Woyeikoff,  General,  46,  58,  59,  89, 
100,  119,  123,  125,  148,  149,  208 

Xenia,  Grand  Duchess,  274 

Youssoupoff,  Prince,  294 
Youssoupoff.Prince  Felix,97-ioo,io« 
Youssoupoff,  Princess  Irene,  102 
Yousuff-Khan,  Lieutenant,  227,  228 

Zinovieff,  250,  233 


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us 


COURT  MEMOIRS  I9I4-6 


Never  was  a  book  so  opportune.  It  tells  of  Court. 
Political,  and  Social  life  in  Petrogrsd  during  the  years  v\ 
the  war,  of  the  private  and  official  life  of  Nicholas  II  arid 
his  family,  of  German  influence  and  intrigue. 

The  unportance  of  the  book  may  be  gathered  from  the 
fact  that  a  representative  of  the  piiblishers  journeyed  i  i 
Petrograd  and  conferred  with  tlie  anonymous  author,  and 
the  manuscript  was  sent  to  this  country  by  special  courier 

WHY  HAS  RUSSIA  REVOLTED  ? 

WHY  HAS  THE  C/^AR  ABDICATED  ? 

WHY  HAS  GERMAN  INFLUENCE  FAILED  ? 

To  know  these  things  you  must  read  the  above  book 
of  the  hour. 


SOME  PRESS  OPINIONS 


lverymak 
\S'eekly  Dbsfatch 
Times 

Bystander 


Gbntlbwomam 


Graphic 


National  News 
Land  &  Water 


The  book  is  absolutely  opportune.** 

Secrets  of  the  Russian  RevolutioH,'* 

Seldom  has  a  book  been  so  remarkably 
opportune." 

Its  appearance  in  the  very  month  of  th- 
Revolution  is  something  of  a  little 
miracle." 

'  Russian  Court  Memoirs '  comes  at  a 
singularly  opportune  moment  .  .  . 
Attractive  enough  to  ensure  the  volume 
an  immense  reading  public." 
'  If  you  want  to  be.  thoroughly  well  in- 
formed on  the  personal  side  of  the 
Revolution  in  Russia  you  must  keep 
'  Russian  Court  Memoirs '  at  your  elbow. ' ' 

No  more  timely  book  than  this  has 
appes.rcd  of  lT.tc  years." 

Surely  no  book  has  appeared  more 
promptly  to  the  instant  than  '  Russian 
Court  M'^nioirs.'  " 


Jir.RTJF.RT  jr.S'KlMS  LTD..  YORK  STREFT,  ST.  JAMES'S,  S.V.M 


m 


RUSSIAN  MEMORIES 

By  MADAME  NOVIKOFF.  With  i6  Illustrations. 
Demy    8vo.     10/6    net.     Inland    Postage    6d.    extra. 

For  forty  years  Madame  Novikofif  has  worked  untiringly  in 
her  endeavours  to  bring  about  friendship  between  Russia  and 
Great  Britain.  Her  success  is  demonstrated  by  the  fact  that 
the  two  countries  are  now  fighting  a  common  foe.  Among  her 
many  friends  Madame  Novikoff  has  numbered  Gladstone,  who 
helped  her  fearlessly  in  her  work,  Carlyle,  Tyndall,  Kinglake, 
the  late  Lord  Clarendon,  the  Hon.  Charles  Vijliers,  Skobeleff, 
Verestchagin,  Sir  Henry  and  Lady  Campbell-Bannerman, 
Froude,  Dostoefifsky.  Few  women  in  history  have  played  so 
important  d  part  in  international  affairs  as  Madame  Novikoff. 
General  Ignatieff  referred  to  her  as  "  a  gallant  and  iatiepid 
warrior." 

THE  RUSSIAN  OPERA 

By  ROSA  NEWMARCH,  author  of  "  Tchaikovsky," 
"  Poetry  and  Progress  in  Russia,"  etc.  With  16  Illus- 
trations. Crown  8vo.  Price  5/-  net.  Inland  Postage 
5d.  extra.     Second  Printing. 

THE  R4JSSIAN  ARTS 

By  ROSA  NEWMARCH.  author  of  "The  Russian 
Opara."  With  32  Illustrations.  Crown  8vo.  Price 
5/-  net.     Inland. Postage  5d.  extra. 

In  this  country  something  is  known  of  the  Music  of  Russia, 
a  little  of  Jier  Literature,  but  practically  nothing  of  her  other 
Arts.  Enrouraged  by  .the  remaricable  success  of  her  book 
"  The  Russian  Opera,"  Mrs.  Newmarch  has  written  a  com- 
panion volume  dealing  v>ilh  Iconogiaphy,  Modern  Painting, 
Sculpture,  Architecture,  Ornamentation,  and  Music.  The 
main  object  of  this  book,  which  serves  as  an  introduction  to 
the  <-tvidy  of  the  Rur^sian  Arts,  is  to  show  how  clearly  these 
reflect  the  soul  of  the  people.  Mrs.  Newmarch  has  an  intimate 
knowledge  of  the  chief  galleries  of  Petrograd  and  Moscow, 
where  she  carried  out  her  studies  under  the  guidance  of  the  late 
Vladimir  Stassov,  one  of  the  most  active  champions  of  the 
n-rticnr.l  idea  in  art. 
f 

lli'IRLHirr  JT^NKINS  LTD.,  YORK  STREET,  ST.  JAMES'S,  S.W.I 

assasa 


RUSSIA 

REVOLUTION 

By  an  Eye -Witness  (Stinton  Jones) 

A  remarkable  book  produced  in  a  remarkable  miinner. 
It  was  written,  printed  (5,000  copies),  blocks  made 
(16  full  p-'-gf"),  bound  in  cloth  and  distributed  to  the 
booksellers  in  TWENTY  DAYS. 

It  is  written  by  an  Enj^lishman  who  has  lived  fcr  12 
years  in  Russia,  married  a  Russian,  and  during  the  whole 
FIVE  DAYS  of  Revolution  was  in  the  streets  of 
Petrograd  with  the  mobs. 

It  is  the  only  consecutive  story  of  what  took  place, 
for  what  the  writer  did  not  see,  he  was  told  by  his  friends 
among  the  Revolutionary  leaders  and  Members  of  the 
Duma.    Just  published.     5/- net. 


FIRST  REVIEWS 

Truth  "  Of  extraordinary  value." 

Daily  Graphic  "  A  notable  bit  of  hi.story." 

National  News  "  A  fascinating  story  of  events." 

Land  &  Watbr  "  Reads  almost  like  a  fairy  tale." 

Illus.  London  News  "  An  absorbing  and  valuable  book." 
Morning  Post  "  A  picturesque  account  of  the  critical  days 

at  Petrograd." 
Daily  Telegraph       "  His  book  is  absorbingly  interesting  and 

extremely  valuable." 
Outlook  "  Undoubtedly  the  best  story  of  what  has 

happened  in  Petrograd." 
Bystander  "  Some  of  it  reads  like  a  romance.     The 

book  is  no  small  achievement." 


HERBERT  JENKINS  LTD.,  YORK  STREET,  ST.  JAMES  S,  S.W.I 


A  SOLDIER'S  MEMORIES 


Recollections  of  Peopl--^,  PIsce?,  and  Things.  By 
MAJOR-GEN.  SIR  GEORGE  YOUNGHUSBAND, 
K.C.M.G.,  F.R.G.S.,-  au1?.or  of  "  The  Relief  of  Chitral," 
"  The  Story  of  the  Guid.  i-,"  etc.  With  14  Illustrations. 
Demy  8vo.  12/6  net.  Inland  Postage  6d.  extra. 
S^ccrd  Prir.tirg. 

Sir  Gccrge  Youcghu^band's  new  book  is  full  of  good  stories 
and  amusing  experiences  in  four  continents.  He  has  en- 
countered many  famous  men  and  v/omen  and  has  interesting 
things  to  say  or  anecdotes  to  tell  about  them.  Among  the 
long  list  are  King  Edw.^rd  VII.  King  George  V  and  Queen 
Mairy,  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of  Connaught,  the  Duke  of 
Cambridge.  Admiral  Dewey  (of  Manila  lame),  Lord  Roberts, 
I-ord  Kitclie.ncr,  Lord  Mcthucn,  Lord  Williara  Bcrciford, 
Sir  Willi:im  Robertson.  Sir  Douglas  Haig,  Sir  Robert  Baden- 
Powell.  Sir  Edward  Chichester  and  the  ubiquitous  Kaiser,  who 
cnce  wept  because  he  was  not  an  Englishman  !  Sir  George 
c;iso  tells  many  interesting  things  about  native  ■wa3rs  and 
c'lstoms.  dog3  and  horses,  in  short  of  the  thousand  and  one 
t-iings  tl'.at  come  the  way  ol  a  very  observant  man  who  has 
i:ved  a  life  full  of  incident  and  adventure,  and  who  is  also  gifted 
w.th  a  clever  pen. 

MEMORIES  DISCREET 
AND   INDISCREET 

By     A     WOMAN     OF     NO     IMPORTANCE.      With 
Numerous  Illustrations.     Demy  8vo.     12/6  net.    Inland 
Postage  6d.  extra.    Third  Printing. 
Among  others  who  appear  in  this  volume  are  : — 


King  Edward  VII 

Queen  Mary 

The  Duch-?r%3  of  Teck 

The  Duke  of  Clares ce 

The  late  Empress  ol  Austria 

Sir  Ian  Hamilton 

Baker  Pasha 

Mr.  A.  J.  Balfour 

Col.  Fred.  Bnmaby 

Lord  Cromer 


De  Lesseps 

Sir  Charles  Dilke 

Garibaldi 

Sir  V.'iUiam  Harcourt 

Lord  Kitchener 

Cardinal  Manning 

Lord  Londonderry  (the  5th 

Marquess) 
Cecil  Rhodes 
Lord  Roberts 


EERBERT  JENKINS  LTD.,  YORK  STREET,  ST.  JAMES'S,  S.W.I 


THE  STORY  OF 
THE   HOTHAMS 


From  Their  Hitherto  Unpublished  Family 
PaDers.  By  A.  M.  W.  STIRLING,  author 
of '"The  Coke  of  Norfolk,"  etc.  With  32 
illustrations.  .  Demy  8vo.  2  vols.  24/-  net. 
Inland  Postage  gd.  extra. 

Few  English  families  have  produced  a  grr^ater 
number  of  distinguished  men  than  the  Hcthsms. 
Among  the  present  Lord  Hotham's  papers  are  letters 
from  the  most  celebrated  people  of  many  generations, 
which  hTve  never  been  published  :  from  the  patriots, 
Pjnn  and  Hampden,  Frederick  the  Great  in  his  un- 
happy youth,  and  Prussian  politicions  of  his  day, 
which  give  remarkable  and  intimate  accounts  of  the 
Court  of  Berlin.  There  are  private  letters  from  the  four 
Giorges,  quotations  from  the  delightfully  amusing 
diary  of  Sir  Charles  Hotham  (8th  baronet)'  describing 
life  at  the  Courts  of  George  III  and  IV  in  a  way 
that  rivals  the  pen  of  Fanny  Burney.  There  is  a 
curious  letter  from  Lord  George  Germain,  written  on 
his  way  back  to  be  court-martialled  after  the  battle  of 
MInden  ;  and  other  letters  from  Lord  Buckinghamshire, 
Ambassador  to  Russia  and  Lord  Lieutenant  of  Irclard  ; 
the  famous  beauty.  Lady  Suffolk  ;  Lord  Chesterfield ; 
Thomas  Coutts,  the  banker  ;  from  the  2nd  Earl  of 
Albemarle  and  the  Duke  of  Dorset ;  from  the  Methodist, 
Whitefield,  Mrs.  Siddons,  Kcmble,  Mrs.  Darner,  Mrs. 
Piozzi,  the  lively  Miss  Farren,  afterwards  Countess 
of  Derby.  Fresh  stories  are  told  of  Hood,  Howe, 
Nelson,  and  many  heroes  of  a  bygone  day.  The  book 
forms  a  veritable  panorama  of  history,  and  many 
sidelights  arc  tlu-own  upon  many  great  naval,  military, 
political  and  social  phases  through  which  this  country 
has  passed. 


HERBERT  JENKINS  LTD.,  YORK  STREET,  ST.  JAMES'S,  S.W.I 


B 


ea 


40.000  COPIES  IN  13  WEEKS 
MR.  HERBERT  JENKINS'  NOVEL 

BINDLE 

SOME    CHAPTERS     l^    THE 
LIFE    OF    JOSEPH    BINDLE 

By  Herbert  Jenkins,  author  of  "  The  Life  of  George 

Borrow."     Crov/n  8vo.    Four-colour  Jacket.     5/-  net. 

Second    Edition,     10,000    copies.     Completing    40,000 

copies  in  13  weeks. 

THE    CRITICS'    WELCOME    TO    BINDLE 


bvst.\nder 

Scotsman 

Sunday  Times 

Clarion 

Outlook 

Daily  Express 

Everyman 

Punch 

Daily  News 

Pall  Mall  Gazette 

Land  and  Water 

Sportsman 

Sporting  Life 

Observer 


Bindle  is  delicious. 
A  Cockney  Mr.  Dooley. 
A  humorist  of  humorists. 
You  must  read  "  Bindle." 
Bindle  is  a  great  creation. 
A  new  character  in  fiction. 
One's  heart  goes  out  to  Bindle. 
Mr.  Herbert  Jenkins  is  a  humorist. 
Pickwickian... Bindle  should  "  go." 
The     immortal     mirth-provoking 

Bindle. 
A  character  who  will  give  joy  to 

many. 
We  bespeak  a  hearty  welcome  for 

Bindle. 
Bindle  is  simply  great  ...  a  classic 

of  its  kind. 
One  of  the  most "  knowing  "  books 

ever  written .    There  should  be  a 

verb  "  to  bindle." 


THE  NIGHT  CLUB 

The  New  Bindle  Book  by  Llerbert  Jenkins.     First 
Edition,  20,000  copies.     Crown  8 vo.     5/- net. 


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